S.E. Social Justice Breaking News Bulletin – 1-7-17 8:55 a.m. ET
Wrecker wreck: Driver’s lead police on two chases – including high speed chase through several cities – and an earlier chase in North Augusta
By Greg Peterson
S.E. Social Justice Breaking News
Owner, News Director
906-273-2433
(Aiken County, SC) – A high speed police chase that began late Saturday night did not end until covering nearly 100 miles and lasting about an hour and a half.
Meanwhile a wrecker wrecked this morning.
The predawn wrecker crash and rollover occurred in Aiken, SC about 4 a.m. today, Sun. Jan. 7, 2017.
An officer told the dispatcher: “we’re gonna need a big wrecker” to pull the crashed wrecker up from a “steep embankment” in Aiken, SC. The wrecker driver received minor injuries.
The chase repeatedly wound through the towns of Perry, Salley and Wagener, SC involving a hometown boy.
The chase happened at the same time firefighters and police were busy at a restaurant fire north east of Aiken.
25-year-old Eric Pardue of Wagener, SC is jailed without bond this morning facing numerous charges.
Pardue has a criminal history that includes third degree assault and battery.
Initial charges include drunk driving, driving with an open alcohol container, and driving on a suspended license first offense.
Additional traffic charges are sure to be filed.
The driver led Aiken County Sheriff’s department officers on more than a dozens roads – so many the list looks like a road atlas.
Just a few of the roads/highways the chase included (some repeatedly) are Wagener Road, Rainbow Drive, (Wagener) Airport Road, Railroad Avenue, Festival Trail Road, Rogers Cemetery Road, Highway 389 (aka John Nunn Highway), Wimbledon Road, Clinton Church Road, Nantuckett Road, Kirkland Blizzard Road, Ernest Johnson Road, Poinsettia Road, Hollow Creek Road, Honeysuckle Road, Thornridge Road, Jeffcoat Road, South Dixie Highway and numerous more.
The speeds ranged from about 40 miles per hour to over 90 miles per hour. Several local residents tried to intercede in the chase by blocking the speeding car – but the driver kept making turns – like going in squares to circle the towns from all directions.
“He keeps starting and stopping – and swerving in and out of lanes,” the deputy said.
Traffic conditions were light at the time – despite a Jeep and another vehicle trying to help police – even if it was misguided assistance.
“We’ve got somebody’s civilian car trying to block him,” the deputy said adding it was a gray Jeep Liberty.
Then it happened again:
“Aiken, we’ve got somebody else trying to block him,” the deputy leading the chase reported to 911 Dispatch.
The chase wandered a few times into the counties of Orangeburg and Lexington, SC.
Law enforcement officers tried several times to lay stop sticks in front of the vehicle however, the driver was wary of the maneuver and repeatedly changed roads and directions including off-road through one person’s property.
The driver was apparently spooked by the many residents watching the chase – some of whom he feared were cops with spike strips.
Private vehicles “have him spooked,” the deputy said as the suspect made another turn.
The driver finally stopped and a felony arrest was made by deputies.
Meanwhile late Saturday morning, another driver lead North Augusta Police on a chase through the streets of the city – on and off W. Martintown Road. That chase latest about 20 minutes and reached speeds of about 60 miles per hour.
North Augusta Department of Public Safety officers arrested a man – but his identity has not been confirmed.
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