Police: Florida man stole van, prompting car chase in Boston

A man accused of stealing a van and leading police on a car chase was arrested Tuesday afternoon, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Police arrested Jason Devoe, a 41-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, after chasing him in a stolen van. He was transported to Boston Barracks for booking.

Initial reports came in around noon on Tuesday for a stolen transit van out of Norwood. The vehicle, identifiable by an HVAC company label on the side, was last seen on Boston’s Jamaicaway. About 15 minutes later, a trooper saw the van on the Riverway at Longwood Ave. and attempted to pull it over. Devoe fled from the officer, and due to bad weather, the officer ended their pursuit immediately.

While fleeing, the van struck a police cruiser on the Riverway near Park Drive. Devoe continued driving onto the Riverway, heading towards Fenway. He was eventually stopped by Boston Police near Brookline Ave.

Devoe is being charged with receiving stolen motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, and failure to stop for police.

Police say that nobody was injured during the incident and the struck cruiser sustained minor damage. Devoe was arrested and charged shortly after.