A juvenile faces multiple charges after allegedly stealing a vehicle and leading police on a chase in Morganton.
According to a news release from the Morganton Department of Public Safety, on Saturday , July 19 at 1:53 am, a Morganton Public Safety Officer saw a grey Ford F-150 operating with no headlights on North Sterling Street near Avery Avenue. The Officer caught up to the vehicle on West Union Street and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle for failure to burn headlights.
The driver of the vehicle ran the red light on West Union Street at North College Street and sped off at a high rate of speed down West Union Street reaching speeds in excess of 70 mph. The vehicle chase covered .08 miles and ended when the juvenile lost control of the vehicle near 701 West Union Street, had a minor collision with shrubbery and came to rest against a rock wall.
The driver and two passengers were detained and all were identified as being 14 years of age. The driver was released to the custody of his guardian and the two passengers were provided with transportation to their residences.
The driver and passengers names are being withheld due to their age. The driver was to be charged with felony counts of flee to elude arrest and larceny of a motor vehicle. In addition, the following charges were also filed: reckless driving to endanger, failure to heed lights and siren, fail to stop at a steady stop light, speeding 70 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone, no operators license, failure to maintain lane control, failure to burn headlights, left of center, and damage to property.
The vehicle being driven was not seized due to it being stolen from the registered owner and was subsequently returned to them. The Department of Juvenile Justice was contacted and the previously mentioned charges were forthcoming. The Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Avery County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Juvenile Justice were assisting agencies.
Rob Eastwood-WHKY contributed to this story