Vehicle Pursuit Starts in Franklin County, Ends in Anderson County, SC

Around 1:45 pm Tuesday afternoon a deputy with Franklin County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a 2010 Black Mercedes traveling northbound on I-85 that occupied by a male subject. The vehicle had a bent license plate.

Once a traffic stop was initiated, the vehicle started accelerating at a high rate of speed attempting to elude from officers. 

The vehicle traveled North on the interstate and exited at exit 177 northbound. The pursuit then travelled across the bridge and got back on the interstate to head southbound. Once back southbound the car approached speeds of 130MPH to 150MPH and started passing cars on the shoulder of the roadway.

The pursuit continued southbound until reaching exit 173 where the car exited the interstate and crossed the Highway 17 bridge to head back northbound on I-85 where Sheriff Steve Thomas was waiting for them.

Thomas said, “I was coming across the bridge and met the black vehicle coming south. He gets to the red light, he makes a right-hand turn onto the ramp to go 85 northbound. We got into the pursuit there. He was passing people going 130 MPH with no regard to public safety whatsoever…”

Units from Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol continued to pursue the recklessly driving Mercedes as it continued to pass other vehicles on the shoulder until reaching Exit 177. 

The vehicle took the exit ramp and then continued to get back onto the highway headed northbound towards the South Carolina state line. Once reaching the state line, deputies and troopers in pursuit called the pursuit off and returned back in service. 

Franklin County 911 dispatchers contacted the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office with information and soon deputies were enroute to the rest area just inside South Carolina on I-85 Northbound. Once on scene, they made contact with the black Mercedes and took one subject into custody without incident.

According to Sheriff Thomas, there were multiple items of interest in the car.

“…and they found over 100 pounds of marijuana in the car and several guns. Carolina is charging the driver. Also we’re going to file charges also for the pursuit and the guns and we are extraditing him back to Georgia when he gets released on charges in Carolina” according to Thomas.

WLHR News placed a call to Sergeant Foster, the Public Information Officer with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, for further comment and a name of the subject. Our phone calls have not yet been returned.