Man stole police car at Quik Trip and led long chase on I-26, SC sheriff says
A man who stole a patrol vehicle Saturday night led law enforcement officers on a long, multi-county chase on Interstate 26 that included one deputy getting injured in a crash before the pursuit ended, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began at about 9 p.m., when deputies responded to a call about a man, later identified as 34-year-old William Waters, experiencing a mental health episode at the Quik Trip gas station/convenience store at 9620 Asheville Highway in Inman, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Information about what Waters was doing at the Quik Trip was not available.
At about 9:45 p.m., Waters got behind the wheel of a deputy’s patrol vehicle, and despite attempts to stop him, drove away, according to the release.
As Waters drove off in the stolen patrol vehicle one deputy was hit by an open driver’s door and was briefly dragged by the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. Despite the sensational scene, the deputy was not hurt, according to the release.
More deputies responded and tried to make a traffic stop, but Waters refused to pull over, the sheriff’s office said. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and the chase on I-26 traveled through Spartanburg County, Laurens County and into Newberry County, according to the release. There was no word if it was a high-speed chase.
The pursuit ended when Waters finally surrendered near the 60-mile marker on I-26, the sheriff’s office said. That’s not far from Exit 66, which is the junction with Jalapa Road. That’s about 50 miles from the Quik Trip where the patrol vehicle was stolen.
During the pursuit, one deputy was involved in a collision near the 53-mile marker on I-26, which is in Laurens County, according to the release. The deputy was pulled from the vehicle and airlifted by helicopter to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, the sheriff’s office said. Information on the deputy’s condition was not available, but the sheriff’s office said the deputy is expected to make a full recovery.
No other injuries were reported.
After he surrendered, Waters was taken into custody without further incident and transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for evaluation. He was given clearance from the hospital and at 3:14 a.m., Waters was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center Sunday, jail records show.
Waters was charged with DUI, grand larceny (value greater than $10,000) and failure to stop for blue lights, according to jail records. No bond has been set and he remains behind bars, jail records show.
Despite the arrest, the incident continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office, as well as the South Carolina Highway Patrol which is leading the investigation into the crash, according to the release.
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