Columbia man charged after leading deputies on chase, crashing truck into Gills Creek (+video)

The driver of a red pickup truck, fleeing a traffic stop, ended up in Gills Creek near Trenholm Plaza Friday night.

The incident began around 6:30pm when a Richland County deputy stopped the driver, identified as Charles E. Owens, II, of Columbia, on I-20 between Alpine Road and Percival Road for speeding. Owens stopped and talked to the deputy but then speed off, leading the patrol car on an 11-mile high speed chase that went from I-20 to I-77 to Forest Drive, Sgt. Kevin Lawrence of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

Owens crossed the center line and ended up down an embankment in Gills Creek. He was charged with speeding, failure to stop for a blue light, and driving without a license, Lawrence said.

more details as they become available.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 7:57 PM.