An Alexander County Detention Center inmate was pronounced deceased this morning.
41-year-old Herman Eugene Williams Jr was found unresponsive in his cell. Detention Officers and Alexander County EMS were unable to resuscitate Williams prior to him being declared dead shortly after 6 am.
Williams of Hiddenite was awaiting transfer to the NC Department of Corrections after being convicted of multiple offenses regarding an incident that occurred on December 17, 2024. He was sentenced to serve 63-97 months in state prison.
As reported previously, a State Highway Patrol Trooper attempted to stop a Jeep Liberty on December 24th, 2024 for a speeding violation on US 64 in Iredell County near the Alexander County Line. The violator failed to stop and proceeded to flee. The violator traveled onto Liberty Church Road, where he lost control, drove off the roadway, re-entered the roadway, and collided with the patrol car. The chase continued onto Old Mountain Road where the trooper executed the precision immobilization technique (PIT maneuver). This caused the violator to lose control and drive into a private driveway. As the trooper pulled into the driveway, the violator rammed the patrol car. The chase continued and a second PIT maneuver was executed, and the violator’s vehicle went into a ditch. When approached by the trooper, the violator refused to exit the vehicle and re-entered the roadway continuing south on Old Mountain Road. A second trooper joined the pursuit. The violator then crossed the center line, striking a tractor-trailer head-on. This impact caused the Jeep to collide with the second trooper’s vehicle.
Herman Eugene Williams Jr
Both troopers were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Williams was sentenced last week to serve 63-97 months in addition to 150 additional days in prison.
Initially, Williams was charged with felony elude arrest with motor vehicle, two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, two counts of assault on a government official, felony habitual impaired driving and series of misdemeanor charges.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations has taken charge of the case according a press release.
File Photo