By Outer Banks Voice on August 23, 2022
Suspect vehicle (Photo credit Kill Devil Hills Police)
Over the last several days, there has been considerable conversation and speculation about a police chase over the weekend that began in Dare County. Here is the Aug. 23 release on the incident from the Kill Devil Hills Police.
On Aug. 21, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a Kill Devil Hills officer in the area of Landing Drive noticed a silver Mercedes Benz displaying a stolen/fictitious tag and possible stolen vehicle. The officer attempted to stop driver of the Mercedes in the area of Colington Road, but he refused to stop and attempted to flee from the officer. The officer initiated a pursuit.
Twice during the pursuit, the Mercedes managed to avoid stop sticks that were deployed by neighboring agencies in order to end the pursuit. The pursuit continued in a generally northern direction, eventually crossing the Wright Memorial Bridge into Currituck. The officer initiating the pursuit terminated the pursuit in the area of the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg due to traffic conditions and the concern for public safety from the dangerous operation of the Mercedes. The driver was not apprehended.
Anyone with information concerning the individual driving the Mercedes is encouraged to call the Kill Devil Hills Police Department at (252) 449-5337, the Dare Community Crime Line at (252) 473-3111 or visit the Crime Line tip line at darecommunitycrimeline.org.
Steven
He made it across a three mile bridge that is two lanes, yet they could not catch them?
Just park two cruisers across lanes, had plenty of time..
Linda
KDH Police and all the other area officers involved … thank you for your service!!!
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 1:41 pm
Stephen Miller
Is that what happens now? Just let them go? Seems the national pro-criminal state of mind has seeped into locals.
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 2:23 pm
Steven,
Parking two cruisers across the two lanes would have been illegal as there has to be a way out that doesn’t involve hitting the cruisers and don’t say stopping before hitting is the answer.
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 5:58 pm
Wondering
Weird. Almost seems like they let them go. The car chase was on Colington road, the curviest road known to man, then the suspect made it to the bridge and no one thought to block the Currituck end?
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 6:26 pm
Johnny
What a ridiculous failure.
What do they need new vehicles for every year?. They can’t even stop a criminal on an island w two ways in and out?
What a joke
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 7:39 pm
Carol
Doesn’t say they were “on” Colington Rd, just in the area of Colington Rd. Sounds to me like the officer did the safest thing for all involved.
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 7:43 pm
charlie
The driver was not let go… The police determined that it was not worth the risk of injury or death to innocent people on the road…Thank you….
Tuesday, Aug 23 @ 10:34 pm
What about radioing ahead for additional help? At the bridge the two lanes in one direction could have been a good place for thre road spikes to disable the vehicle. The effort fell short and another criminal goes free.
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 7:08 am
JustSaying
Wouldn’t the suspect have had to make a u-turn somewhere to be 1st seen on Landing heading towards Colington. Colington is south of landing but then he was heading north??? Am I wrong here?
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 7:37 am
KHer
It’s easy to “Monday morning quarterback” here. I do wonder at the point he gave up pursuit if he was calling ahead for officers to pick up the chase. If the car zipped onto a side road to hide I hope locals would have noticed.
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 7:40 am
Juniper
There are tire tracks across my front lawn where he avoided the stop sticks on Juniper Trail. Lucky no one was harmed…kids weren’t out, no one was walking on the path, and my dog wasn’t out there. Hope the driver is found.
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 8:58 am
Steve Railsback
Was 10:30 am on a Saturday mid-August? I understand why they stopped the pursuit. I can’t see anywhere on Caratoke at that hour–all the way up to Moyock–that a PIT would have been feasible. I wonder if it’s the hallowed sons of Tidewater bringing their joy to the OBX again?
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 9:44 am
Liz
Wow, don’t you just love all the armchair quarterbacks? You all who are criticizing weren’t there. You have no idea of the split-second decisions that have to be made in a situation like this. Maybe you should have ridden along in one of the patrol cars. That way you could observe and give your expert advice to the officer. That kind of backseat driving is always helpful. Sheesh!
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 9:56 am
A possible stolen vehicle. And a bunk tag. Well my question would be was the car stolen or not did the owners know the person is driving the vehicle just questions I have.
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 2:36 pm
Louise
I believe I know this criminal and they live in Harbinger. Easy to locate.
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 2:55 pm
Noel Miller
They did not stop at cotton gin bc the car and 4 cops blew by me in the turn lane closer to grandy than that and scammer was reporting on it even further up than grandy.
Also, why to they avoid the obvious. Literally close the freaking bridge. Ya know.. like happens every weekend bc of traffic. There’s literally only 2 ways out in a car 🙄
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 5:00 pm
Stuck in traffic
Go suspect vehicle!
Before you do gooders go nuts,
I was a cop. And man, that must have been fun for the Suspect!
Glad nobody got hurt, except maybe some pride. Good learning experience they used to say.
But really, where the heck were the cops. Hiding from Saturday’s traffic is my guess?
Go suspect vehicle Go!!!
Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 11:05 pm
Jon
I just want the outer banks voice to really pursue this. Like they do all the innocent people I’ve seen on here being blasted.
Who was the guy?
Why did he get away?
And if this is the story there’s got to be more to it. So good job. So far. Don’t stop. Get answers. The only answers I can see here are only leaving more questions.
Thursday, Aug 25 @ 8:00 am
Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice
Jon, new info published today. Suspected identified, car recovered. https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2022/08/25/police-identify-driver-in-police-chase-car-found/
Thursday, Aug 25 @ 11:30 am
But this is crazy on how he got away they could did something bc when he got where the church was which is Piney Grove Baptist Church they could have did something then currituck they need to do better than what they be doing. Omg n then outer banks police it’s alot of them. When things like this happen they definitely need to call for backup immediately don’t hesitate but I mean right then.
Thursday, Aug 25 @ 11:18 am
