Man charged with fleeing from police twice in one night

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 19, 2024

SALISBURY — A man was charged with two counts of felony fleeing to elude after he allegedly fled from deputies and state troopers in one night.

According to a spokesperson with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Friday, when a deputy noticed a black Infiniti vehicle driving up behind him at a high rate of speed on the southbound side of Interstate 85. As the Infiniti approached the deputy, the driver allegedly slammed the brakes, slowing down to approximately 55 mph before changing lanes without his turn signal. When the Infiniti changed lanes, the vehicle in that lane had to slow down to allow it in, the spokesperson said.

The deputy allowed the Infiniti to pass him. During that time, the deputy reportedly witnessed the vehicle make multiple more unsafe lane changes. The deputy then got behind the Infiniti and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, at which point the driver sped up and changed lanes, according to the spokesperson. The deputy chased the Infiniti until it exited onto Lane Street, at which point he reportedly lost sight of the vehicle due to dense fog and had to end the chase.

A few minutes later, the sheriff’s office was informed by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol that troopers had located the vehicle and it fled from them as well, the spokesperson said. Eventually, the Infiniti exited onto Dale Earnhardt Boulevard in Kannapolis and stopped in the Lowe’s parking lot.

Troopers reportedly arrested the driver, identified as 21-year-old Eric Jordan Blake, and transported him to the Rowan County Magistrate’s Office. There, Blake was charged with one county of felony flee to elude, failure to heed lights or siren and reckless driving with wanton disregard by the sheriff’s office and another count of felony flee to elude by the highway patrol. Blake was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center.

The spokesperson said that because the deputy lost sight of Blake’s vehicle and had to call off the chase, when the troopers attempted to stop the vehicle it counted as a separate incident, causing the two felony charges.