SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — A teen driver is in custody and a passenger is still on the run after a police pursuit that spanned multiple counties and agencies in South Carolina.
Investigators said that the incident arose out of another in Sumter County when authorities received a report of a dark Hyundai Santa Fe driving down Brabham Road slowly. The report stated that the passenger was looking into vehicles parked in yards there.
The caller was also able to get the license plate number which was out of Kingstree, South Carolina, a detail that later helped deputies spot the vehicle as it was headed east toward I-95.
According to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, a deputy who confirmed the license plate information attempted to stop the vehicle. However, instead of stopping for deputies, the driver ignored the emergency lights and continued east at speeds that, at points, surpassed 100 mph.
The chase continued into Williamsburg County and through Kingstree with the Williamsburg County Sheriff's Office then leading the pursuit along with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Eventually, after 36 miles and speeds of up to 115 mph, authorities said the Florence County Sheriff's Office used a stop stick to disable the vehicle. It left the road and went into a ditch.
But, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office, the chase didn't end there. The driver and the passenger both escaped and ran into nearby woods with authorities saying a gun was spotted in the driver's waistband.
A search involving the Sumter County K-9 Brazz and bloodhounds from the Florence County Sheriff's Office followed and, at some point, the latter department's deputies were able to track down and arrest the driver. But the search for the passenger continues.
According to the Sumter County Sheriff's Department, the driver was wearing a South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice ankle monitor at the time of the chase. While not identified due to age, the 16-year-old suspect faces charges of failure to stop for blue lights and possession of a stolen vehicle.
