By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Rockwell man led officers on a high-speed vehicle chase through three counties Friday. Officials said he and two passengers were injured after he lost control and crashed the car.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Brandon Alexander Talbert, 26, of the 100 block of Broom Street, Rockwell, with driving 100 mph in a 70-mph zone; careless and reckless driving; driving while license revoked; operating a vehicle with no insurance; felony fleeing to elude arrest; felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance; misdemeanor possession of a Schedule III controlled substance; misdemeanor possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance; and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The chase began about 12:20 a.m. Friday. Sheriff’s Sgt. Wes Smith was traveling north on Interstate 85 when a driver in a Honda Civic passed him and began weaving in and out of traffic. The driver slowed down, but then sped up.

The vehicle chase continued into Davidson County. Officers with the Thomasville Police Department and troopers with the N.C. Highway Patrol joined the pursuit.

When the driver reached Hopewell Church Road in Randolph County, he tried to pass a tractor-trailer on the right side of the road but lost control of the car. He struck an embankment and hit several trees before going airborne. The vehicle overturned and came to stop in the road.

Talbert was found hanging halfway out of the driver’s side window. Both the front-seat and rear-seat passengers were ejected in the crash.

The front-seat passenger, Phillip Wayne Ketchie, 26, was found lying on the side of a slight hill. Ketchie, of the 500 block of Roseman Road, received minor injuries.

Talbert also received minor injuries. Both Talbert and Ketchie were taken to High Point Regional Hospital by emergency crews.

Talbert kept asking where his girlfriend was, according to an investigator’s report.

Danielle Hope Pendleton, 20, of the 200 block of Kimball Street, Kannapolis, was a passenger in the back seat. She was listed in critical condition. She was found up a hill in a wooded area about 100 feet from the crash scene.

Attempts were made to get a medical helicopter to the scene, but officials said that was prevented by bad weather. Pendleton was taken by ambulance to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Highway Patrol troopers investigated the crash.

At the hospital, they charged Talbert with driving while impaired. He was released from the hospital and taken into custody by Davidson County sheriff’s deputies. He was issued a $25,000 secured bond.

Smith found a small plastic bag on the ground where Talbert had been lying. He noted that inside the bag were smaller plastic bags of marijuana, a suboxone strip and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine.

In addition to the drugs, Smith seized two cellphones found near the car.

Talbert was issued an additional $235,000 secured bond on the Rowan County charges. He remains in the Rowan County Detention Center.