KRISTINA VISE

A Troy man is sought in a Florida manhunt, after he fled the scene of a drug traffic stop early Tuesday.

Law enforcement in Walton County, Fla. seek Troy’s 33-year-old Leigh Kyser Howard, alleged with some involvement in drug activity, said Walton County Sheriff’s Department Spokesman Mike Gurspan.

Howard was reportedly pulled over at the 89-mile marker off the westbound lanes of I-10 at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. He was handcuffed, but he fled across the median into a heavily wooded area.

Howard was not alone. The woman traveling with him is in custody. Gurspan would not release details of the incident at this time.

As of Tuesday afternoon, helicopters and K-9 tracking teams were searching several miles near the point of his escape.

Although Howard was last seen headed south, law enforcement are asking for help in tracking the escapee.

Howard was not carrying a weapon at the time of the traffic stop. “People should always be cautious in this situation though,” Gurspan said.

Howard is a white male, approximately 6 feet, 2 inches in height and weighing around 160 pounds.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans tucked into brown boots with a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.

“He is reported to be thinner than he appears in his mug shot,” Gurspan said.

“His hair is also longer.”

According to the Troy Police Department, there are currently no outstanding warrants for Howard’s arrest.

But Howard does have previous arrests in Troy.

“We’ve had over 80 contacts with him since 1993,” said Troy Police Spokesman Sgt. Benny Scarbrough. “A contact does not mean that he was actually arrested or charged.

“It just means that he was a suspect or allegedly involved in an incident.”

Previous contacts include multiple counts of traffic violations, thefts, fleeing and alluding police and escape.

“We are not involved with this situation at the moment, but we will be happy to assist any agency if called to do so,” Scarbrough said.