A dramatic high-speed chase unfolded in North Carolina last night, leading the North Carolina State Highway Patrol on a multi-county pursuit that reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. Vaughn Paul Mitchell III, aged 34, has been charged with multiple offenses in connection to the incident that extended through Catawba, Alexander, and Iredell counties before coming to a halt.
The chase began around 10:30 p.m. when Mitchell, driving a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, was asked to move to the shoulder at a license checkpoint set up by troopers on NC 16 near Shell Hollar Road, reportedly because he did not have proper identification. Mitchell, however, did not comply with the request, triggering the high-stakes chase. It continued along NC 16 into Alexander County where, the suspect made a run for I-40 west towards Catawba County, as WBTV reported.
Attempts to end the pursuit included a precision immobilization technique (PIT maneuver), which was unsuccessfully carried out by a trooper as Mitchell attempted to merge onto I-40. The chase came to an eventual end when the Malibu hit stop sticks near mile marker 133, deflating its tires and forcing Mitchell to pull over at the NC 16 ramp, detailed in a release by the QC News.
Upon arrest, Mitchell faced charges including felony flee to elude, aggressive driving, speeding, driving while license revoked, and carrying a concealed weapon among others. The mischief of the night culminated in heavy penalties for Mitchell, as per the charges listed by WHKY. A female passenger was also present in the vehicle throughout the ordeal but was not charged or taken into custody. Mitchell, subsequently, was booked into the Catawba County Detention Center under a $125,100 bond and is awaiting his day in court, with a scheduled District Court date today and a Superior Court appearance set for November 20.
The fate of his vehicle was sealed under North Carolina's "Run and You're Done" law, authorizing the seizure of vehicles involved in certain types of pursuits. Further complicating Mitchell's legal troubles were the three additional outstanding warrants served upon his detention.
