WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. — A Clinton man faces multiple charges after authorities say a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle ended with a crash and a K-9 tracking the suspect to a ditch.
According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were notified on Sept. 23 of a Flock camera alert from Lenoir County involving a reported stolen vehicle traveling toward Wayne County on N.C. Highway 55.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., members of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Violence Prevention & Response (ViPR) unit located the vehicle and confirmed that its registration matched the reported stolen vehicle.
Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, identified as 32-year-old Brandon Lee Hester of Clinton, allegedly refused to stop and fled.
The Sheriff’s Office said the pursuit continued for several miles before Hester left the roadway and crashed, bringing the vehicle pursuit to an end. Authorities said Hester then got out of the vehicle and fled on foot.
WCSO K-9 Tod was deployed to track Hester and located him hiding in a ditch, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Hester was taken into custody without further incident.
Hester was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle. He also faces charges of reckless driving to endanger, hit-and-run/failure to stop for property damage, speeding 90 mph in a 35 mph zone, driving while license revoked, resisting a public officer, failure to stop at a stop sign or flashing red light, failure to stop at a steady red light, and unsafe passing involving oncoming traffic.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Hester was held without bond due to pending charges.
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