KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A Kershaw County deputy is OK after his vehicle was rammed by a U-Haul truck over the weekend.
At about 4:30 am Saturday, a Kershaw County deputy attempted to stop a U-Haul truck for suspicion of DUI. The driver of the U-Haul refused to stop and fled away driving on the wrong side of Hwy 1 from Bay Lane in Camden to Lugoff at speeds near 80 MPH. Deputies were unsuccessful in spiking the tires of the U-Haul while driving through Lugoff.
Once Hwy 1 went from four lanes to two lanes, deputies attempted to surround the U-Haul truck to attempt a maneuver referred to as a “rolling road block.” They were able to slow the U-Haul down to below 60 MPH before the driver rammed a Kershaw County F-150 in the rear. The deputy lost control of his vehicle, spinning it off the side of Hwy 1. The F-150 flipped on its side deploying all airbags. Officials say the deputy is "doing well."
The suspect then lost control of the U-Haul and ran off the opposite side of the road from where the deputy crashed. The U-Haul went through a wooded area and finally stopped within a few feet of a house. Deputies were able to take the suspect into custody.
James Lee Washington, 67, of Columbia was charged with driving under the influence, driving under suspension, failure to stop for blue lights with bodily injury, malicious injury to property ($2k-$10k), possession of stolen vehicle (over $10k), and assault and battery 1st degree.
“A lot of poor choices were made by Mr. Washington during this incident, but making a conscious decision to ram a deputy was by far his worst decision," said Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan. "I thank God our deputy wasn’t killed as a result of his decision.”
South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.