YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Two people were killed and one was hurt Thursday evening after a car slammed into a tree and caught fire during a chase, authorities in York County said.
The sheriff's office said a robbery suspect was being pursued out of Charlotte and crashed off I-77 southbound near the Porter Road exit in Rock Hill.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police said the vehicle reported stolen from the 1500 block of Willow Park Drive, then used in a robbery in the 5100 block of Park Road.
CMPD's aviation unit followed the car to South Carolina on Thursday evening where highway patrol responded.
Troopers said the driver intentionally hit one of their cruisers, then highway patrol tried a PIT maneuver (Precision Immobilization Technique) to stop the vehicle and was unsuccessful.
The car then left the road and struck a tree at a high rate of speed, highway patrol said. No troopers or deputies were hurt in the incident, according to the sheriff's office.
I-77 southbound was shut down while the investigation took place, backing up traffic for miles.