Columbia driver chased at high speed, several SC deputies injured
Several Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies were injured and patrol cars were damaged Tuesday during the pursuit of a speeding driver in Columbia.
According to the department, the driver being pursued, 30-year-old John McManus, was stopped by Master Deputy Collins Harper around 10:45 p.m. after speeding at 90 mph on I-77 north near Farrow Road, a 60 mph zone,
McManus’ vehicle came to a stop, but he claimed to not have a driver’s license or insurance on his person and was reluctant to provide his name and date of birth, Harper wrote in his report. After conceding his name, McManus fled at high speed before providing his date of birth.
The deputy then pursued McManus’ vehicle, which reached speeds over 120 mph, through Farrow Road and Killian Road, the sheriff’s department detailed. The driver sped through a construction zone and attempted to cross the median into oncoming traffic before being stopped by a cable barrier. McManus then reversed course, the department said, and drove into oncoming traffic going southbound.
Throughout the pursuit, the driver drove head-on towards the deputies’ vehicles in an attempt to wreck them, the department reported. At one point, he intentionally collided with the passenger side of a patrol vehicle and disabled it before continuing on. The collision injured Master Deputy Harper and totaled his patrol vehicle.
Two additional patrol vehicles collided with each other during the attempt to stop the driver, the department said. The pursuit ended when a K-9 vehicle collided with the suspect’s car. The collision injured K-9 specialist Sam Ramirez.
McManus began to flee on foot, ultimately surrendering once a K-9 was deployed, the department said. A female passenger in the vehicle told deputies the driver refused to allow her to get out of the vehicle during the pursuit.
Corporal Thomas Young was also injured during the pursuit, the department said. He was transported to a hospital by another deputy and released in stable condition early Wednesday morning.
McManus was charged with reckless driving, failure to stop for blue lights and a siren, not having a state driver’s license, speeding 25 mph or more over the speed limit, kidnapping of the female passenger, and assault and battery. The department’s report states that McManus was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
The suspect was taken into custody by the sheriff’s department, the report states. He received a more than $100,000 bond, the sheriff’s department reported.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 8:51 AM.
