By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
GRANITE QUARRY ó Three people have been charged in a Sunday night chase that involved officers from numerous Rowan County law enforcement agencies.
The chase started with a report of a shoplifting in Rockwell and ended on Interstate 85 in Davidson County after officers boxed in a car they’d been pursuing at speeds topping out at 100 mph.
All three charged have High Point addresses.
Charged by Granite Quarry-Faith police are:
– Edward Anthony Westbrooks, 36, charged with felony speeding to elude arrest, careless and reckless driving, driving while license revoked, littering and failure to stop for a stop light.
– Darron Ellison Williams, 40, charged with littering.
– Arletha Quick, 47, charged with littering.
Bond for Westbrooks is $5,000 while Williams and Quick are both being held in the Rowan County Detention Center under $500 bonds.
Rockwell police say Williams and Quick entered a CVS Pharmacy on U.S. 52 at 7:43 p.m. Sunday. As Quick distracted the clerk, Williams grabbed and concealed several packages of Zyrtec, an over-the-counter tablet.
Williams and Quick then left the store and climbed into a burgundy PT Cruiser Westbrook was driving.
The CVS store manager called police and gave a description of the vehicle, which left heading west on U.S. 52.
Officer M.C. Milette of the Granite Quarry-Faith Police Department spotted the Cruiser entering the town’s limits and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver turned right onto Dunn’s Mountain Road, then reversed course and headed back toward U.S. 52.
Milette continued his pursuit of the vehicle and was joined by Rowan County Sheriff George Wilhelm, who was in the area and heard talk about the pursuit on his police radio.
Sgt. R.T. Taylor of the Granite Quarry-Faith Police Department said occupants of the Cruiser began tossing items from the vehicle as they entered the Salisbury city limits.
The chase continued north onto Interstate 85, the driver of the Cruiser avoiding stop sticks along the way. He was finally boxed in by law enforcement officers at the Clarke Road exit along the interstate in Davidson County.
Taylor said the car was stopped without injuries to either law-enforcement officers or the vehicle’s occupants. The arrests were made about 8:30 p.m.
In addition to officers from the Granite Quarry-Faith Police Department and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the East Spencer and Salisbury police departments, and troopers from the N.C. Highway Patrol assisted in the chase.