Three injured when chase in Columbia ends in crash, SC sheriff’s department says
Three people were hospitalized Wednesday morning when a chase in South Carolina ended in a crash, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident happened at about 9 a.m., on a stretch of Bush River Road near Dutch Square Mall in Columbia, the sheriff’s department told The State.
Deputies attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle that had a tag violation, the sheriff’s department said. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 53 year-old David Quattlebaum, refused to pull over, and led a pursuit that spanned about 2 miles, according to the sheriff’s department.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle being chased ran a red light and crashed into an innocent bystander’s vehicle further down Bush River Road, near the Woodland Village Apartments, the sheriff’s department said. That’s by Exit 63 on Interstate 20.
Including Quattlebaum, there were three people in the vehicle leading the chase, and all of them were injured and taken by EMS to an area hospital, according to the sheriff’s department. Further information on the crash victims’ conditions was not available, but the sheriff’s department said none of their injuries were considered to be life threatening.
The two people in the vehicle that was struck by Quattlebaum’s vehicle were neither injured nor taken to the hospital, the sheriff’s department said.
Quattlebaum will be booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he’ll be charged with use of another license plate, driving under suspension (2nd offense), reckless driving, and failure to stop for blue lights (2nd offense with bodily injury), according to the sheriff’s department.
As of 1 p.m., Quattlebaum was not listed on the inmate roster, jail records show.
All of the people involved in the chase and collision are adults, according to the sheriff’s department.
Quattlebaum was out on bond from a Dec. 16, 2024 arrest when he was charged with use of vehicle without permission with intent to deprive, cocaine possession and another drug charge for marijuana possession, Richland County court records show.
Quattlebaum is also facing pending drug charges from a February 2023 arrest, according to court records.
A section of Bush River Road where the crash occurred was temporarily blocked by the sheriff’s department and the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Information about when all of the lanes would be reopened and the scene would be cleared was not available.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area if possible, or otherwise expect delays.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Three injured when chase in Columbia ends in crash, SC sheriff’s department says."
CORRECTION: The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said information it provided about who was hospitalized after the crash included an error, which has been corrected in the updated version of this story.
