A car reportedly stolen out of Kannapolis slammed into a downtown Salisbury glass studio before dawn Thursday, ending a short but fast police chase that saw the vehicle hit speeds of up to 70 mph on city streets. The driver, identified as a 17-year-old runaway, ran from the wreckage on foot but was tracked down hours later and taken into custody.
According to the Salisbury Post, a Rowan County sheriff's deputy first spotted the vehicle in Salisbury around 4 a.m. Thursday after it ran a red light. The deputy pursued the car as it briefly fled, with the chase lasting less than a mile before the vehicle struck Glass Ingenuity at the intersection of Fisher Street and South Main Street.
The impact shattered the storefront windows and left the business with what the Salisbury Post described as significant damage. The worst of it was concentrated at the front of the building, where the gallery and retail store are located, and the newspaper reported that section of Glass Ingenuity sustained comprehensive damage.
Driver Fled on Foot Before Arrest at East Ridge Road Home
Once the car came to a stop, the driver managed to climb out and run from the scene on foot. Surveillance camera footage reviewed by investigators showed the teen heading down East Fisher Street before disappearing from the camera's view, the same account from the Salisbury Post states.
The driver was later identified by the Rowan County Sheriff's Office as a 17-year-old runaway. That person was taken into custody at a residence on East Ridge Road in Salisbury and transported to a juvenile detention facility, per the sheriff's office account relayed by the Salisbury Post.
North Carolina law treats fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer as a distinct offense. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 20-141.5, it is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle on a street, highway or public vehicular area while fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer who is lawfully performing their duties.
Glass Studio Closed Through Saturday, Classes Unaffected
Glass Ingenuity is a working glass art studio and gallery located at 135 South Main Street, according to the business's own website. The shop closed temporarily in the wake of the crash while staff assess and begin repairing the damage.
Owner Cora Greene said the business would remain closed through Saturday. In a statement cited by the Salisbury Post, the studio said, “A car crashed through our front window in the early morning hours causing significant damage,” adding, “We are working hard to get back into operation! Thank you for your understanding.”
Greene said the crash would not affect the studio's stained-glass classes, since that area of the store was not damaged in the collision. Glass Ingenuity offers stained-glass classes as part of its regular studio programming, meaning that side of the business is expected to continue uninterrupted even as the storefront repairs proceed.
