Midlands man led deputies on chase with 5 kids in tow. Car catches fire
Deputies are searching for a man who left behind five kids inside car he’d crashed, and fled from, after a pursuit, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began around 1 p.m. Thursday when deputies observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation near Copley Drive. A traffic stop was attempted, but Lovely — suspected to be the driver — fled, leading deputies on chase reaching speeds of around 55 mph through a residential area, according to a news release.
Lovely then crashed and fled his vehicle near Dorsey and Cherryvale drives, the release said.
As a result of the crash, the vehicle caught fire with five children inside, ranging in age from 1 to 7-years-old, according to the release.
The children were safely removed from the burning vehicle and evaluated by EMS. No injuries were reported, the release said.
Lovely is described as a Black male, 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds, with brown eyes and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a tan tie-dyed shirt and blue jeans, according to the release.
Besides a charge for failure to stop for blue lights, Lovely is facing five counts of child endangerment, the release said.
Anyone with information on Lovely’s whereabouts is encouraged to call 911 or submit a tip here. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward, according to the release.
