State troopers arrest man on multiple charges after “Hollywood” style chase ends in Red Bank
Red Bank, SC (Paul Kirby) – Red Bank motorist were stunned to see a car chase through the heart of the county that ended when the fleeing car jumped a ditch and came to a stop in the parking lot of the Red Bank Walgreens. Then, the suspect tried to run on foot but was quickly taken into custody. Several witnesses said it looked as if it were a movie company filming a stunt scene.
According to Lance Corporal David Jones of the SC Highway Patrol, the whole thing was very real. Jones said that a trooper tried to pull over a black Chrysler for speeding about 10:37 a.m. on I-20 at the 42-mile marker east. The trooper activated his warning lights but instead of pulling over, the man in the car accelerated and initiated the pursuit.
Eventually the man raced through areas of the county west of Lexington, crossed I-20 on Longs Pond Road, wove around Red Bank, and finally came out on South Lake headed back toward Lexington. Not only could the man not shake the well-trained trooper, but at this point, several other troopers and law enforcement officers had joined in the effort to stop the man. At the intersection of South Lake Drive and Platt Springs Road, Lexington County sheriff’s deputies set up in the road in an attempt to use whatever means necessary to stop the speeding car. Even a state trooper on a motorcycle was there to do what he could. When the man saw all the police cruisers blocking the road, he steered right, jumped the deep roadside ditch, and launched the car into the parking lot of the pharmacy. In the process, the rear bumper cover of his car came off and dragged behind the car as he landed! There the car gave up even though the man still had flight on his mind. He tried to get out and flee on foot, but troopers were right there and the suspect was almost immediately taken into custody. The entire chase lasted almost 30 minutes as the man was arrested at 11:00 a.m.
Jones said the black male who was arrested has since been charged with DUS 2nd, Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, and Operating an Uninsured Vehicle. The man was already on federal probation for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He has been booked into the Lexington County Detention Center.
Lance Corporal Jones said that the SCHP always appreciates the assistance of other law enforcement agencies whenever something like this occurs. Interagency cooperation is essential to keeping our streets safe from men like this who have no respect for the law or the safety of the public.
