High-speed chase in Midlands ends in crash injuring deputy and two others, SC cops say

A deputy and two people who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase Thursday were taken to an area hospital following a crash, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said.

The incident began at about 1 p.m., when deputies and Camden Police Department officers responded reports about somebody making a threat to fire a gun at an area Walmart Supercenter, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. That’s at 2240 West Dekalb St., in Camden, near U.S. 601 and the Wateree River.

The person accused of making the threat was in a vehicle that a deputy saw leaving the Walmart, according to the release. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop and led the deputy on a chase on Springdale Road that reached speeds of 90 mph, the sheriff’s office said.

When the vehicle being pursued turned right on Liberty Hill Road it crashed head-on with another deputy approaching from the oncoming traffic lane, according to the release. Maps show the length of the chase was about 4 miles.

The two people in the vehicle leading the chase and the deputy involved in the collision were all taken to an area hospital, according to the release. All of the injuries were considered minor, the sheriff’s office said.

Further information on their conditions was not available.

No arrests have been reported, and multiple law enforcement agencies are leading investigations into the different parts of the incident.

Camden police are investigating the incident inside Walmart, while the South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

The pursuit prior to the crash will be investigated by the sheriff’s office.