Gaston, SC (Paul Kirby) – One person has died after initiating a pursuit with a trooper from the SC Highway Patrol. This happened about 10:55 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2020.
The SC Highway Patrol had received a complaint from a citizen regarding drag racing on the 12th Street Extension near Cayce. According to a spokesman for the SCHP, a trooper responded and located a vehicle that was involved in this dangerous and illegal activity. When the trooper activated his warning devices, instead of yielding, the driver of a car sped away at high speed.
The trooper followed the suspect with his lights and siren on for several miles toward rural Lexington County. At some point, the car and trooper were near Old Wire Road heading toward Gaston or Calhoun County. The driver never gave any indication he was going to stop. Within a short distance of where the pursuit began, the fleeing car’s driver lost control of his vehicle, went off the road, and crashed into some trees.
The vehicle caught fire after the collision. Personnel from Lexington County EMS and the fire service responded to provide care and put out the fire. Although medical and first responders arrived on scene quickly, the driver of the fleeing vehicle was killed in the crash.
Personnel from Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher’s office are investigating the driver’s cause of death. Coroner Fisher will be responsible for releasing the decedent’s name once the driver’s next of kin has been notified.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the details of the crash. It is standard practice to have another law enforcement entity investigate a collision if some other agency is involved in a pursuit.
