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Freshman defensive lineman Michai Boireau was arrested on Saturday night after attempting to flee police following a car accident. The Florida Gators rookie is said to have caused serious injury with his vehicle in his evasion efforts, which sent local authorities on a high-speed chase.
An early enrollee, he was held in jail for two days before being released on bond and returning to Gainesville. Steve Reece of the Monroe County Reporter first broke the news.
Here’s what went down, according to a police report.
Michai Ishmael Boireau, 18, of Atlanta, was clocked by Cpl. Larry Sullivan doing 86 mph in his black 2018 BMW on I-75 just north of town around 10 p.m. As Sullivan pulled out to make a stop, Boireau turned off his lights and sped up to over 150 mph.
Apparently, Boireau was caught speeding in the Atlanta area, causing a cop to flip his lights. Rather than pull over, the big man led police on an all-out pursuit.
That might’ve been due to the fact that he had marijuana in his vehicle.
GatorsOnline of the On3 Sports network would provide further details on the event.
Michai Boireau’s said to have driven wildly throughout the chase, changing lanes on a dime and even using the shoulder to zip past traffic.
He was consistently clocked at speeds in the triple digits, despite the fact that he cut his headlights in hopes of being less conspicuous. That tactic apparently worked for a brief moment as authorities admittedly lost sight of the vehicle at one point late in their pursuit.
Unfortunately for Boireau, the chase ended in disastrous fashion.
The defender crashed into the back of a Chevy Malibu on the interstate. The driver of that vehicle was injured, while Boireau was able to climb out of his 2018 BMW.
He was found by police walking on the side of the road where he was quickly detained.
The 382-pound tackle is said to move good for his size, but no one expected him to be hitting 150 mph on the radar gun!
Michai Boireau can move well for his size pic.twitter.com/zKxW4NhtYV
— Gentry Hawk (@GentryHawkGC) June 24, 2023
Boireau told officers that he was on his way back to school, and that he’d run due to a suspended license. He was later charged with fleeing, serious injury by vehicle, and possession of marijuana (less than 1 oz.).
The lineman was highly touted coming out of high school, picking the Gators over SEC rival Georgia.
What happens to Boireau could now rest in the hands of head coach Billy Napier.
Florida’s recruiting class saw a late slip near the end of the most recent cycle as the team lost a slew of commitments. Now, the Gators are in danger of potentially losing one of the stars that did sign with the program.
Of course, if his scholarship is subsequently revoked following this incident, it would open up a spot for new walk-on addition Cormani McClain.
The numbers always work out!
Luckily for everyone involved, the scary situation didn’t end in a fatality.