21-year-old motorcyclist killed in crash during police chase in SC, coroner says
A 21-year-old died after crashing his motorcycle during a chase with a South Carolina trooper, officials said.
The man was riding a Yamaha at dusk on Monday, July 11 down West Cherokee Street in Blacksburg when he reportedly didn’t stop for the trooper. His motorcycle then collided with an SUV that had pulled onto West Cherokee, according to the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office.
The 21-year-old died at the scene of the crash. He was identified in a news release as Joseph Wyatt Stancil of Iron Station, North Carolina, a town roughly 25 miles northwest of Charlotte.
The S.C. Highway Patrol didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for additional information about the chase on July 12.
The coroner’s office reported the crash just after 8:30 p.m. near downtown Blacksburg. While in the region roughly 45 miles southwest of Charlotte, officials said a trooper was pursuing the motorcyclist.
“Stancil failed to stop and collided with a Ford Escape as it pulled into its path from Mountain View Drive,” coroner Dennis Fowler said in the release.
Officials expect to conduct an autopsy on July 13.
