Armed teen in ankle monitor leads high-speed chase across multiple SC counties, cops say
An armed teenager wearing an ankle monitor was arrested Sunday after leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase through multiple counties after beginning in the Midlands, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department said.
Although the 16-year-old driver was charged with failure to stop for blue lights and possession of a stolen vehicle, there’s an ongoing search for a passenger in the SUV who ran away, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The incident began at about 8:15 a.m. Sunday when the sheriff’s department was told about a Hyundai Santa Fe slowly driving down Brabham Road, according to the release. That’s in the Dalzell area.
The caller told deputies that the passenger in the SUV was looking inside vehicles parked in yards, according to the release. The sheriff’s office did not report that anything was stolen from the parked vehicles.
A search of the SUV’s license plate showed it was from Kingstree, and deputies said it was soon heading east toward Interstate 95.
A deputy attempted to pull over the SUV, but the driver ignored the lights and siren and sped away, going faster than 100 mph, according to the release.
A pursuit began, and it ran through Williamsburg County and Kingstree, where officers with the Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office led the chase and were joined by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the release said.
The chase ended when a Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputy deployed a stop stick and the SUV crashed into a ditch, according to the release. Both the driver and a passenger ran from the SUV, and a black handgun was visible in the driver’s waistband, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.
A Sumter County police dog tracked the pair as they ran into a field and woods, while bloodhounds from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office were also called to the scene, according to the release.
The driver was eventually tracked down and taken into custody by Florence County deputies, the release said.
His name is not being made public because of his age, but he was was wearing a South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice ankle monitor, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said. Information about why the teen had been fitted with the monitor was not available.
There was no word on the identity or a description of the passenger, who remains on the run. Information about charges facing the passenger were not available.
The vehicle pursuit covered about 36 miles, with top speed of 115 mph, according to the release.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said neither the teen who was arrested nor the officers involved in the chase were hurt, and no other injuries were reported.
Anyone with information about the incident, or who knows the whereabouts of the passenger is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 9:24 AM.
