A man who eluded a traffic stop, almost hit another vehicle head on and ultimately crashed is the subject of a search by Augusta County authorities.
“Deputies were in the area throughout the night, and have checked numerous locations today. It is believed that the suspect is no longer in the area,” Augusta County Sheriff Donald L. Smith said Friday, after a lengthy search south of the City of Staunton that initiated last night.
Things began at 7:15 p.m. when a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a black 2008 Mazda 3 for speeding and having no front license plate. The suspect vehicle turned onto Lee Jackson Highway towards the City of Staunton from Frontier Drive. When the deputy followed the vehicle, the driver immediately did a U-turn and headed south, back into the county.
The deputy activated his lights, and the driver immediately took off at a high rate of speed, passing other vehicles in the turning lane. The pursuit was terminated in the 600 block of Lee Jackson Highway after the suspect vehicle almost hit another vehicle head-on.
The vehicle ultimately wrecked several miles away at the intersection of Lee Jackson Highway and Cochran’s Mill Road. When the deputy encountered the wrecked vehicle, the suspect fled on foot.
The suspect is described as a white male, wearing a white T-shirt and dark colored pants. A K-9 was deployed in the area of the wrecked vehicle. Additional deputies, Staunton Police Department and the Virginia State Police responded to the scene. After several hours of searching, the suspect was not located.
The suspect was last seen in the area of Victory Worship Center around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Reverse 911 was utilized to notify the surrounding areas of the incident.
If anyone has any information about this incident, please contact the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office at 540-245-5333 or Crime Stoppers at 800-322-2017.
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Chris Graham
