York County deputies chase suspect into NC, thought to be Arkansas escapee

After a two-state chase that ended in North Carolina, York County deputies caught a suspect they believed to be an escapee from Arkansas, but who turned out to be someone else fleeing from police.

In the incident that started Sunday night and ended with an arrest Monday morning, York County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to assist Bessemer City, N.C., police.

They were pursuing a tan van on Ridge Road in northwestern York County, near the North Carolina state line, a police report shows.

The chase moved onto S.C. 557. Dispatchers told deputies that the fleeing suspect was believed to be an escapee from Arkansas who had several outstanding arrest warrants.

The chase, in which the suspect blew through at least two red lights, moved from S.C. 557 to S.C. 49, through Lake Wylie and into North Carolina for several miles, a report says.

The chase included unsuccessful attempts to use stop sticks to puncture the tires of the fleeing vehicle. It ended when the suspect pulled into a restaurant north of the intersection of N.C. 49 and Carowinds Boulevard.

The suspect tried to run on foot, but was caught by a York County sergeant, the incident report states.

The suspect was identified as Jody Darren Carr, 37, of Kings Mountain, N.C., not the wanted Arkansas escapee, police said. Carr had no driver’s license and the plates on the van were from a different vehicle.

Carr was charged with several crimes, police said, including failure to stop for blue lights and four traffic violations. He is being held without bond at the Gaston County, N.C. jail pending service of the South Carolina arrest warrants, deputies said.

The Gaston County jail shows Carr facing a felony fleeing charge in North Carolina, as well as two traffic charges and a drug charge.

It is unclear if Carr will fight extradition to South Carolina where he will face York County charges, but one of his charges in North Carolina is a felony extradition, records show.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 11:12 AM with the headline "York County deputies chase suspect into NC, thought to be Arkansas escapee."