Gaston PD seeking man who fled a traffic stop, one woman in custody

Gaston, SC (Paul Kirby) Gaston police officers are seeking a man who fled from a traffic stop Wednesday. The chase ended when the driver crashed the car and then fled on foot.

According to Major Stephen Watkins of the Gaston Police Department, Captain Poole was on routine patrol when he got behind a Chevrolet Blazer near Woodtrail Drive and Hwy. 321 S. He ran the tag on the SUV, and it came back registered to another vehicle. When he activated his warning lights to stop the vehicle, the suspect initiated a chase and sped away toward Cayce. The pair in the vehicle began throwing bags out of the windows of the SUV. Those were later recovered and appeared to contain a substance that is believed to be illegal drugs.

Watkins said that he soon joined the chase and he and Poole pursued the car as it turned on to Busbee Road. Eventually, the Blazer turned onto Pasture Road, a small dirt road. As it neared Glenn Road, the driver lost control, ran off the road, flew through a fence into a cow pasture, and eventually crashed into an embankment. Both the driver and the passenger got out of the vehicle, which at this point was on fire, and ran on foot. The female passenger was quickly taken into custody. The Gaston Fire Station responded and quickly put the car fire out.

The driver of the car disappeared into the woods. Police officer requested K-9’s respond to track the suspect and SLED agents arrived shortly thereafter and deployed the dogs. They tracked for some time, but were never able to locate the driver.

He has now been identified as Terry L. Coleman. He is a black male, in his late 50’s. At the time that he fled he was wearing a dark shirt, jeans, a ball cap, and glasses. The passenger who was taken into custody has been identified as Summer McEwen. She was later booked into the Lexington County Detention Center on a multitude of charges herself.

Coleman is still being sought. His warrants will include charges for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, simple possession of marijuana, failure to stop for blue lights, and other vehicular charges.

If you have information regarding Coleman’s whereabouts, you can call the Midland’s Crime Stoppers at 1-888-Crime SC. You may be eligible for a sizable reward for information leading to his arrest. You do not have to reveal your identity, and you may be eligeble for a reward up to $1000.