Man detained after running from crashes and threats to jump off wall, Lexington cops say

Lexington County sheriff’s deputies detained a who ran from a car chase that resulted in multiple collisions, prompting lockdowns at several area schools Monday..

Deputies negotiated with the man after he threatened to jump off a wall, the Lexington Police Department said on Twitter. Negotiations continued until about 2:15 p.m., when he was taken into custody, Capt. Adam Myrick of the sheriff’s department told The State.

The man was taken to a Lexington hospital for an evaluation, said Master Trooper David Jones of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. When the man is released, he will be taken to the Lexington County Detention Center on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, failure to stop for blue lights, reckless driving, and an improper vehicle tag, which was stolen, according to Jones.

After the man was located, lockdowns were lifted at all schools, except for nearby Northside Christian Academy, according to the tweet. An officer was on duty at the school, and arrangements were made for parents to pick up their children, police said.

Three crashes were connected to the attempted traffic stop, police said.

Multiple lanes on Sunset Boulevard/U.S. 378 and Northside Boulevard were closed near the intersection following the collisions, according police.

At 1:45 p.m., both directions of Northside Boulevard were blocked, police said. Drivers were told to avoid the area and find alternative routes of travel.

The chase started about 11 a.m. after Highway Patrol troopers attempted to stop the Chevrolet pickup truck on Sunset after observing the improper tag and reckless driving, Jones said. The pursuit continued for several miles until the trooper executed a pit maneuver and bumped the Chevy off the road near exit 61 on Interstate 20, according to Jones.

There were three people in the car, including a minor who was a passenger, Jones said. The passengers were detained while the driver ran off and was located standing on a 30-foot high embankment, according to Jones.

That was when sheriff’s department negotiators were called in to talk the man down, a process that lasted more than two hours, Jones said.

Neither the man nor the passengers cooperated with law enforcement, according to Jones. The passengers will be cited for seat belt violations and could face more charges, according to Jones.

There was no word Monday afternoon on injuries or the number of vehicles involved in the collisions. Jones said no troopers were hurt in the incident.

The collisions will be investigated by the sheriff’s department because the Highway Patrol was involved in the wreck.

The roads are expected to fully reopen soon, police said.

This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 1:09 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription