A car chase through Nash County reached speeds of up to 130 mph Monday before the vehicle rolled over several times in a field outside Bailey, ending with a convicted felon captured on foot and two teenagers hospitalized. Deputies say the wrecked Hyundai Elantra had been stolen, and a rifle and a sawed-off shotgun were recovered from inside it.
According to WITN, the chase began Monday after an automatic license plate reader notified deputies of a stolen car on Westmount Drive near Rocky Mount. The Wilson Times, however, reported that the same plate reader alert concerned a vehicle displaying a stolen license plate rather than a stolen car itself — the two outlets' accounts differ on that detail. Either way, deputies attempted to stop the car, which was carrying three people, and a pursuit followed.
Pursuit Topped 130 MPH Before Rollover Crash
Per the Wilson Times, which cited Highway Patrol First Sgt. K.S. Howell, speeds during the chase reached as high as 100 to 130 mph at times. The pursuit ultimately ended on West Hornes Church Road near Williams Road outside Bailey, where the car crashed into a field after rolling over several times, deputies said.
Driver Dajuan Goode ran from the wreck but was quickly captured, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies learned the Hyundai Elantra had been stolen out of Durham. Inside the car, they seized a .22 AR-15 rifle that they said was stolen from Lenoir County, along with a sawed-off shotgun cut down to 17 inches — a modification that makes the weapon illegal.
Convicted Felon Faces Stack of Charges
Goode was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, felony fleeing to elude arrest, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and possession of stolen property, the station's report states. Under North Carolina law, as laid out by the North Carolina General Assembly, it is unlawful for anyone convicted of a felony to purchase, own, possess, or control a firearm or a weapon of mass death and destruction as defined under state statute.
Officials said the 18-year-old had been convicted this year of conspiracy for robbery with a dangerous weapon in Orange County. He was given no bond following Monday's arrest.
Two Teen Passengers Hospitalized, Face Juvenile Petitions
The two 16-year-old passengers in the car were taken to the hospital after the crash and later released to their parents. Deputies said they intend to file juvenile petitions to charge the teens in connection with the incident, per the same account.
