MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – New dashcam video obtained by Local 10 News on Friday captures the moments a Florida Highway Patrol trooper acted quickly after spotting a wrong-way driver in a stolen vehicle on the Palmetto Expressway in northwest Miami-Dade last week.
It happened around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 21, when troopers said they saw a black SUV traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the busy highway.
The video shows the driver reversing after coming face-to-face with the trooper’s patrol car.
“PIT, PIT, PIT,” the trooper is heard saying before executing a precision immobilization technique to stop the SUV against a guardrail.
Additional video captures the trooper questioning the suspect, identified by police as 39-year-old John Michael Actisdano.
“What did you take?” the trooper is heard asking Actisdano in the video. “How did you take it?”
“I snorted it,” Actisdano responds.
Authorities said Actisdano admitted to using fentanyl mixed with MDMA, commonly known as “Molly.”
According to investigators, Actisdano was driving a stolen SUV with a suspended license. Troopers said they also found two clear bags containing a white powdery substance inside.
Police also confirmed that a dog in the back seat was taken in by a local animal control group, according to an arrest report.
Authorities said Actisdano was transported to Jackson West Medical Center for evaluation before being taken to jail. They said he refused to provide a urine or blood sample for testing due to “safety reasons.”
Jail records show he is facing charges of grand theft of a vehicle, driving under the influence and knowingly driving with a suspended license.
As of Friday, he remains behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.