Man runs from stop, dies when car hits house
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on December 11, 2005 2:06 AM
From staff reports
Investigators are looking into a Friday night crash that left an unidentified Hispanic man dead after he allegedly ran from a Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputy's traffic stop.
Sheriff Carey Winders said Deputy Jason Hill was traveling south behind the man's vehicle on Emmaus Church Road at about 11:30 p.m. Friday when a check revealed that the car had an expired registration.
"The deputy put on his blue lights to stop him and (the man) slowed down like he was going to stop," Winders said.
Then, the man's car speeded away.
"The deputy followed around the corner and saw the car had crashed into a cinder block house," Winders said.
The occupant of the home, which was located at 2200 Emmaus Church Road near the intersection of Emmus and Indian Springs roads, was shaken up, but not hurt, Winders said.
He added that the deputy was following the suspect at about 60-65 miles per hour around a curve and did not see the actual crash.
Winders said the accident is currently under investigation by the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
He said alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash.
"It took about an hour to cut the victim out of the car," Winders said. "It was a real tragedy."
The man's name will not be released until his next of kin are notified, the sheriff said.
Responding to the crash, in addition to the Highway Patrol, were the Dudley and Indian Springs fire departments and the Mount Olive Police Department.
Also assisting were Emergency Medical Service crews from Mount Olive and Dudley, Winders said.