A man wearing a bulletproof vest fled from DeLand police this morning, leading law enforcement on a chase that ended with a fiery crash in Lake County, officials say.

The incident unfolded about 8:30 a.m. when a motorist spotted two women running out of some woods near the Tractor Supply Co. on Woodland Boulevard near DeLand, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver stopped to help the women, who said a man fired a gun and was trying to hurt them, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies then learned the man, later identified as 38-year-old Mark Sykora, was possibly wearing a bulletproof vest. 

He left the area before they arrived, but deputies got a license plate number and a description of his vehicle. A DeLand police officer then spotted it near Glenwood Road and Grand Avenue, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The man fled when the officer tried to pull him over, so police pursued him until a Sheriff’s Office helicopter could catch up. 

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Andrew Gant said the helicopter followed as the car crossed into Lake County and eventually crashed near Division Street and Fonseca Lane — about 13 miles away from the Tractor Supply Co.

Sykora bailed out of the vehicle before it caught fire and ran into some nearby woods, the Sheriff’s Office said. The helicopter eventually found him crawling on the ground and directed a Lake County sheriff’s canine to arrest him.

Gant said Sykora was bitten by the dog, but deputies don’t believe he has any significant injuries.

He is facing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

sallen@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417

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