South Congaree, SC (Paul Kirby) – The driver of a car that failed to pull over for South Congaree Police Major Jonas around 11:00 a.m. Sunday, initiated a pursuit that ended when the driver turned down a dead end road and then fled on foot. The pursuit never reached speeds that exceeded 80 miles-per-hour as the driver fled the police cruiser. The driver has since been taken into custody and is enroute to the Lexington Medical Center for treatment of dehydration before he is booked into the Lexington County Detention Center.
The fleeing driver first sped out Church Street toward Gaston and then turned onto Gator Road and ran back over to Edmund Highway. He eventually turned on SC Highway 6 toward Swansea and then onto Sam Craft Road out past The Store south of Fish Hatchery Road. Here he turned down Marshal Road, bailed out, and ran on foot near Lella Road. He fled into the woods back toward SC Highway 6. Major Jonas secured the vehicle while officers from Springdale and Lexington County began to set up a perimeter and search for him.
In a very short time, Major Jonas had positively identified the suspect through evidence he located in the vehicle. South Congaree officers have dealt with this suspect in the past. Richland County Sheriff’s deputies were already at the location where the vehicle was registered in their county, although it’s unclear why they were called there at this point.
South Congaree Police Chief Josh Shumpert said the suspect ran because his license was suspended. He is being charged with Failure to Stop for a Blue Light 2nd, DUS 2nd, Operating an Uninsured Vehicle, and several other traffic offenses.
A K-9 tracked the man to his home where he was located hiding under a bed. Multiple agencies assisted in this capture.
