Teen carjacked multiple cars during high-speed chase through the Midlands, cops say

After stealing a car in Columbia, a teenager led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase through the Midlands before crashing, carjacking another vehicle, and ultimately getting arrested, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday night.

Columbia police officers chased the carjacker through Lugoff and into Camden, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Camden police officers used stop sticks to forcibly stop the vehicle, according to the release.

The teen ran from the wreck to a nearby Zaxby’s on U.S. 1 and carjacked another vehicle in the parking lot, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff’s deputies and Columbia police officers then forcibly stopped the second stolen vehicle on U.S. 521/Springdale Drive, according to the release. That’s about a mile from the Zaxby’s.

The teen ran from the second crash but was taken into custody in the parking lot of a nearby Hibbett Sports store by Camden police officers, the sheriff’s office said. The 17-year-old was in possession of two handguns when arrested, according to the release.

The teen, both carjacking victims, and all of the officers involved in the chase were “OK,” the sheriff’s office said. No other injuries were reported.

Because the suspect is a juvenile, the teen’s name has not been publicly released.

The teen was taken into custody by Columbia police and brought to Richland County, the sheriff’s office said. There was no word on the charges the teen is facing.

South Carolina Highway Patrol is leading the investigations into the crashes.

This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 11:51 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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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