A high speed chase which started in McIntosh County and finished in Liberty County landed three suspects in jail early Wednesday morning.
According to Col. Danny Lowe of the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on I-95 near mile marker 60 shortly before 1 a.m.
According to the deputy the driver had been clocked driving 116 mph. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop and continued to drive at a high rate of speed with the deputy in pursuit.
Lowe said the driver, who was driving a white Nissan Altima, left the interstate at exit 76 and began to travel westbound towards Midway. A Midway police Officer as well as deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office joined the chase.
The driver continued west until he made a left on South Coastal Highway towards Riceboro still allegedly maintaining speeds over 100 mph. The driver reached the northbound ramp of exit 67 where he turned left in an attempt to enter I-95 northbound.
The driver was unable to negotiate the turn and slid onto the grassy portion of the exit where his vehicle came to rest. He along with two passengers exited the vehicle and began to run.
One suspect was captured a few minutes after exiting the vehicle, the other two were able to allude authorities when they climbed over a fence into the wood line.
According to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Maj. Dennis Davis his office assisted the MCSO deputies in trying to locate the two suspects. Davis said they deployed their K-9 scent hound, Charlie and also used a drone to search for the suspects.
Deputies searched the woods for hours. The search ended when both men exited the wood line near the McDonald’s at South Newport around 7 a.m.
Lowe said two weapons were found in the vehicle as well as a pound of suspected marijuana and crack cocaine. All three men are being held at the McIntosh County Jail.
The three men arrested were James Pierce, Damel Davis, and Demetrius Burgess. All three faces drug related charges.
Col. Lowe said they have yet to determine who was driving at the time of the incident.
The incident is still under investigation.