Man evading police runs from crash scene
Authorities are looking for a driver who fled police and crashed into a house near campus, sparking a blaze, and ran from the scene on foot.
Brick Lewis, spokesman for the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, said no injuries had been reported Wednesday evening.
Neither of the scorched house’s residents was home at the time, Lewis said. The Red Cross offered assistance, but the two are staying with family in the area.
Lance Cpl. Bill Rhyne, spokesman for the S.C. Highway Patrol, said the driver stopped at a checkpoint in Olympia when troopers realized he didn’t have a driver’s license.
The man drove away and led an officer on a short chase until a supervisor called it off at 3:42 p.m.
A few minutes later — at 3:45 — they found the car. It had crashed into a house at 1601 Rice St., off Pickens Street and across from DiPrato’s Delicatessen, causing $72,000 in damage to the house and two cars, Lewis said.
But they didn’t find the driver.
Pickens and Rice streets were blocked for a few hours after the wreck as nearly 10 fire crews doused the flames and about 20 police units from four agencies responded.
Many officers looked through a wooded area near Rocky Branch Creek off Wheat Street, and at least one dog was used in the search. Police have not found the driver.
Tyler Rohaley, a third-year criminal justice student and ROTC member, was getting into his car downs the street to leave for the day when he heard tires screeching.
He ran over to see if anyone was hurt and saw the driver running away. Rohaley chased him about 300 yards, but the man got away.
So what was going through his head?
“Honestly, nothing,” Rohaley said. “It was just instinct.”