Motorcyclist critically injured in high speed chase with Walton deputies

 A 21-year-old Fort Walton Beach man was taken by air ambulance after he rear-ended a Chevy van during a high speed chase with Walton County deputies.

Michael Davis was attempting to elude authorities in the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 98 around 11 a.m. Saturday, according to Corp. S. Fisher, of the Florida Highway Patrol.

 Davis struck the right rear corner of a van driven by Christopher Sunga, 29, of Williamsburg, N.Y., at Doodles Forrest Road, east of U.S. Highway 331. Davis was traveling at a high rate of speed when he encountered the slower moving Sunga vehicle and a third vehicle also eastbound in the lane next to Sunga. Davis failed to slow his motorcycle in order to avoid crashing into the van.

Davis was ejected from his motorcycle upon impact and was thrown into the right rear corner of the van.

The motorcycle overturned onto its side and slid to the northeast onto the grass shoulder, where it went into a ditch and began to tumble. It rolled out of the ditch, and vaulted a low-lying area before eventually coming to rest in the woods, south of US. 98, on its left side and facing to the north.

The Sunga vehicle stopped in the grassy median, and while none of the four people in the vehicle were injured, FHP placed estimate damages at approximately $5,000.

Davis was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in critical condition.

The FHP report gave no indication as to why deputies were pursuing Davis.