Chase ends as man crashes car

Thursday, December 18, 2008 3:10 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

A Charlotte man is facing numerous charges after he led law enforcement officers on a 28-mile high speed chase that ended in Salisbury.

Police began chasing Charlotte resident Terry Wayne Tucker, 31, of 210 N. Tryon St., in Albemarle at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday.

"The call came out that there was a larceny at Wal-Mart in Albemarle," said Trooper V.J. Buck.

Albemarle Police stopped the suspect, who then took off. The pursuit went onto the campus of Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer.

Someone called 911, reporting they had spotted the suspect's car back in Albemarle.

The chase picked up in Rowan County, where the suspect finally wrecked the car he was driving around 6:45 p.m., ending the ordeal.

The car was a 2008 Suzuki Forenza, Buck said. It was reported stolen June 13 after a carjacking in Charlotte.

The driver wrecked the vehicle at the intersection of Faith Road and Innes Street when he tried to swerve and ran onto the curb. He hit a sport utility vehicle that was waiting at a traffic light.

"He busted his tire and he still kept going," Buck said.

Buck noted the suspect sped around about eight stop sticks. At various points during the chase, officers had placed the sticks on the road in an effort to puncture the car's tires. "He swerved past them," Buck said.

He added that with traffic being so heavy, officials couldn't keep deploying the stop sticks.

"We did the best we could. He just went around them," he said.

Tucker was clocked driving faster than 100 mph.

He was charged with felony speeding to elude arrest, reckless driving, not having an operator's license, improper passing and traveling 110 mph in a 55 zone.

The Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police were also involved in the chase. Salisbury Police Sgt. Justin Crews confirmed no one was hurt in the chase.