A traffic stop for driving without headlights quickly spiraled into a chaotic, multi-agency high-speed pursuit spanning two counties on Friday night. The chase, which reached speeds of up to 117 mph, featured multiple near-misses with civilians and law enforcement, a detour onto a residential lawn, and a bizarre phone call from the suspect demanding that authorities call off the chase.
The initial chase through Niceville’s streets
It all started at around 8:57 on Friday night, June 12, 2026, when Niceville Police Inspector Shawn Teets spotted a black 2020 Kia Optima traveling near 21st Street and Palm Boulevard with its headlights turned off. As the officer turned on his emergency lights to signal a traffic sto,p, the Optima tried to escape in a harrowing cat-and-mouse game through the city’s neighborhoods.
According to the police report, the vehicle reached speeds of up to 55 mph on residential streets and blew through multiple stop signs. On Finck Road, the driver accelerated to 81 mph, lost control, and traveled off the roadway. The vehicle narrowly missed hitting a person on a bicycle before recovering and continuing its attempted escape.
Intentionally Targeting Law Enforcement?
The driver— identified in the report as 46-year-old William George Smolar— continued to navigate Niceville streets at high speeds without headlights and turned down a dead-end street on Osceola Bay Avenue. The suspect’s car successfully executed a maneuver rarely seen in police chases: the three point turn.
The driver then fled back onto Valparaiso Boulevard, driving into oncoming traffic and nearly striking a marked patrol vehicle.
Moments later, Smolar intentionally swerved his Kia directly toward a police cruiser – the officer inside was forced off the roadway.
The pursuit wound through more residential areas, with Smolar at one point driving completely through the yard of a home at 408 Tiger Point Drive, before narrowly missing a rear-end collision on Palm Boulevard. Niceville officers terminated the active pursuit as Smolar crossed city limits toward Walton County.
‘Tell Them to Stop Chasing Me’
At 9:54 p.m., Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the headlight-less vehicle on College Boulevard. The suspect fled again and read another red light. The Kia was picked up again, this time by a Flock automated license plate reader.
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Niceville K-9 Officer Thomas Bronson picked up the scent with the help of the camera and forced the suspect’s vehicle to flee through Northwest Florida State College before getting back on the main roads near Partin Drive – where the car would reach 117 mpiles per hour headed to Walton County before the police broke of the pursuit a second time.
In a surreal twist, while the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) was being notified that the suspect was heading their way, WCSO Sergeant Denning contacted Niceville police. Denning revealed that Smolar was actively on the phone with him while fleeing from Niceville officers – according to Teet’s report.
The Arrest and Charges
Smolar’s multi-hour flight from the law finally came to an end around 11:12 p.m. when Walton County deputies successfully apprehended him following a brief pursuit in their jurisdiction. Sergeant Denning confirmed that Smolar was wearing the exact same clothing that Niceville officers had observed during the initial chase.
Smolar faces a slew of charges from the Niceville Police Department, including:
- Fleeing and Eluding with Disregard of Safety to Persons or Property (Felony)
- Reckless Driving (1st Offense) (Misdemeanor)
- Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (2nd/3rd Subsequent Offense) (Misdemeanor)
Additionally, Smolar was issued a traffic citation for driving without lighted lamps at night.
