Delray Beach Teen Flees Cops. They Get Him. Multiple Charges.
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A 19-year-old Delray Beach resident is facing felony charges after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase down Interstate 95 in a stolen vehicle. Michael Leonardo McCracken was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on counts of fleeing and eluding with disregard for safety and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
According to the arrest report just obtained by BocaNewsNow.com following the November 24th arrest, the incident began around 10:44 p.m. when FHP troopers responded to a request for assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office regarding a stolen black 2015 Honda CRV. A trooper located the vehicle traveling southbound on I-95 near Woolbright Road without its headlights on. When the trooper activated emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, the driver—identified as McCracken — allegedly failed to yield. Instead, the report states he accelerated to speeds exceeding 100 mph in a 65 mph zone, weaving through traffic in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
The pursuit continued southbound until McCracken exited I-95 at Atlantic Avenue at a high rate of speed. Troopers say he temporarily lost control of the vehicle while turning westbound but managed to regain composure before a trooper executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver just east of Congress Avenue. The maneuver caused the Honda to spin and come to a stop, at which point McCracken reportedly attempted to flee on foot by climbing out of the passenger-side window. He eventually complied with commands and was taken into custody without further incident.
Investigators later confirmed that the Honda CRV had been reported stolen in Delray Beach on November 22. McCracken, who authorities say held only a Florida identification card rather than a valid driver’s license, refused to waive his rights and requested an attorney. He is currently being held without bond on the fleeing charge, while the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is handling the vehicle recovery and separate charges regarding the grand theft of the automobile.
