A traffic stop in Windsor turned into a 130 mph pursuit that tore through three northeastern North Carolina counties Monday, ending with two wanted people in handcuffs near the Chowan-Perquimans county line. Bertie County Sheriff’s Office investigators had tried to pull the vehicle over for a traffic violation when the driver took off, setting off a chase that pulled in six law enforcement agencies before it was over.
According to WAVY.com, BCSO investigators attempted to stop the vehicle in Windsor on Monday, and the driver sped off once deputies activated their emergency lights. The chase stretched onto US 17 and continued through Bertie and Chowan counties, with the fleeing vehicle reaching speeds of more than 130 mph, the outlet reported.
That stretch of US 17 is no ordinary back road — it's a four-lane rural corridor that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has targeted for long-term upgrades to full interstate standards as part of the future Interstate 87, according to NCDOT. The road's design as a major regional arterial is part of why it became the stage for a pursuit spanning three counties.
Five Agencies Join the Pursuit
Windsor Police, Edenton Police, the Chowan County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Perquimans County Sheriff's Office all assisted in the chase alongside Bertie County deputies, the station's report noted. The pursuit eventually ended near the Chowan-Perquimans county line, where the driver and a passenger were taken into custody.
Under North Carolina's so-called “Run and You're Done” law, enacted in 2011, agencies are required to seize any vehicle used during a felony speeding-to-elude offense for potential state forfeiture, per the UNC School of Government. The driver was also charged with felony flee to elude.
Driver Faces Felony Charges, Prior Larceny Warrant
The driver, identified as 47-year-old Wayne Aldo Swain of Windsor, was charged with felony flee to elude, failure to heed lights and siren, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting a public officer, and numerous traffic-related offenses, per the same account. Swain was also wanted by the Edenton Police Department on habitual larceny and misdemeanor larceny warrants.
North Carolina law treats habitual larceny as a Class H felony regardless of the value of stolen goods when a defendant has four or more prior larceny convictions, according to Greenwood Law. The exact status of Swain's prior larceny case in Chowan County remains an open question for follow-up reporting.
The assault with a deadly weapon charge stems from how North Carolina law treats a vehicle driven at pursuing officers or bystanders in a way that creates an imminent threat of serious harm, according to Randall Law. Swain was given a $270,000 secured bond.
Passenger Also Faces Felony Charge
Rachel Taylor Jaramillo, 46, of Elizabeth City, was charged with felony aid and abet, after previously being wanted by Edenton Police on a misdemeanor aid and abet warrant, per WAVY.com's report. Her bond was set at $20,000.
Under North Carolina criminal law principles, a passenger can face a felony aiding and abetting charge if prosecutors can show the individual knowingly encouraged, assisted, or shared intent with the driver during a felony like fleeing to elude, according to Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson. That standard means prosecutors will need to establish Jaramillo's role beyond simply riding in the car.
Both Swain and Jaramillo are now confined at the Albemarle Regional Jail, the outlet's report stated.
Part of a Pattern in the Region
In August, North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers pursued a driver at 130 mph along Interstate 95 after a traffic stop attempt, a chase that ended in a manhunt near Benson, as Hoodline previously reported.
The chase involved six law enforcement agencies. Whether the vehicle involved in Monday's chase was ultimately impounded for state forfeiture, and the exact circumstances that led BCSO investigators to attempt the initial stop in Windsor, remain open questions as the case moves through the courts.
