IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A police chase ended in a multi-vehicle crash Monday afternoon after a suspect allegedly rammed patrol cars and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer.
The incident began around 4 p.m. when a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a Jeep Liberty for speeding on US 64 near the Alexander-Iredell County line, authorities said.
The driver, identified as Herman Eugene Williams Jr., 41, refused to stop and led troopers on a chase through multiple roads. During the pursuit, Williams lost control multiple times and deliberately rammed a patrol vehicle, according to highway patrol officials.
Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle twice using precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuvers. After the second attempt, Williams' vehicle went into a ditch but he managed to return to the roadway.
The chase ended when Williams crossed the center line on Old Mountain Road and struck a tractor-trailer head-on, authorities said. The impact caused his vehicle to collide with a second trooper's car.
Williams suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. Both troopers involved in the incident were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The tractor-trailer driver was uninjured.
Highway patrol officials said speed and impairment appear to be contributing factors in the collision. The incident closed Old Mountain Road for several hours while the State Highway Patrol's Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the scene.
Charges against Williams are pending as the investigation continues.