He didn’t dim his high beams; now he’s facing felony charges, Midlands sheriff says

A Sumter County man faces a variety of charges, including trafficking, after deputies found thousands of dollars in cash and two kinds of drugs in his car at the end of a five-mile chase.

The pursuit began around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday, when a deputy saw a black Honda Accord that didn’t dim its high beams for motorists traveling in the opposite direction on Broad Street, according to a release from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy tried to stop the car, but the driver refused to pull over, leading deputies on a pursuit that lasted about five miles.

After pulling into a driveway on Duffie Drive, the driver of the Honda got out and ran toward a house on foot, deputies said. He was caught and arrested.

Inside the car, deputies found a grocery bag containing $18,824 cash, 342 grams of multi-colored pills believed to be methamphetamines, and 132 grams of off-white pills, according to the sheriff’s office. They also found five Oxycodone pills and a .40-caliber handgun with rounds in the magazine, and an open beer.

The driver, 26-year-old Bernard Witherspoon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to the sheriff’s office. He was charged with trafficking ice, crank or crack at least 28 grams but less than 100 grams-second offense, possession of Schedule I and Schedule II narcotics-first offense, unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, failure to dim lights and failure to stop for blue lights.

“A large amount of drugs was taken off the streets because this subject failed to follow a simple traffic rule,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said. “Just like with Operation Ice Storm earlier this year, some people who commit crimes will get caught when they least expect it.”

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 9:07 AM.