An attempt to stop a stolen vehicle in Lowndes County on Friday escalated into a chase that led across state lines, ending in a crash that ejected all four occupants.
The occupants have not been identified publicly, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins told The Dispatch, but they will face charges in both Mississippi and Alabama.
The vehicle was reported stolen on Friday morning from the intersection of Jemison Mill Road and Highway 12, which is northeast of Columbus. Just before 6 p.m. the same day, the vehicle was spotted on Cal-Koloa Road, which is west of Caledonia.
When a Lowndes County deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle fled onto Highway 12 and crossed into Alabama.
Just before it reached Vernon, Alabama, Lamar County sheriff’s deputies deployed stop sticks to stop the vehicle. The driver swerved off the roadway to avoid the stop sticks and struck a culvert. The vehicle began to roll, and all four occupants were ejected.
One occupant was airlifted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo with non-life threatening injuries. The other three were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus with minor injuries, a Saturday release from the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation is ongoing, and specific charges will be determined as it progresses.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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