Man dies in high-speed chase

Woman, infant taken to Columbia hospital; conditions unknown

By JASON WERMERS
Item Content Team Leader
jwermers@theitem.com

A 25-year-old motorist involved in a high-speed chase was killed Monday evening after his car struck trees in the median of Interstate 20, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Riding in the car during the chase, during which the car was reportedly traveling at an average speed of just over 130 mph, were a 26-year-old woman and a 16-month-old child.

"With him doing all that, he didn't have (any) intention of stopping," said Maj. Danny Simon of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. "He didn't really care about breaking the law. And the worst of the worst, he put his passenger — and especially that infant child — in danger. For a person to drive at that rate of speed, they don't care."

Phillip Miller, 25, of Douglasville, Ga., drove a 2003 Volkswagen Passat a total of 46 miles back and forth across three counties in 21 minutes, authorities said, which would indicate an average speed of about 131 mph. The wreck happened at 8:08 p.m. near mile marker 102, about a mile east of the Road 329 exit, said Sgt. Kelley Hughes of the highway patrol.

Simon said the chase started when Sgt. Wesley McCathern clocked the Passat traveling 99 mph in a posted 70-mph zone at mile marker 116 on eastbound I-20 at 7:47 p.m.

When McCathern, assigned to I-20 and a member of the sheriff's office's Traffic Unit, activated his patrol vehicle's lights and sirens, the Passat kept speeding down the highway, Simon said.

The Passat was traveling so fast, Simon said, that officers had trouble keeping up, lost sight of the car and almost called off the pursuit. But the Passat got off I-20 at Exit 131 (U.S. 401) in Darlington County — apparently to avoid traffic that had backed up from a collision farther east on the highway — then got back on the interstate in the westbound lane.

"We had contact with Darlington County; they had a wreck on the interstate, and traffic was at a standstill," Simon said. "Sgt. McCathern was going to call the chase off, but the driver got off on Exit 131, the 401 exit for Lamar/Darlington, and got back on westbound and headed toward Columbia."

The car traveled back all the way through Darlington and Lee counties into Kershaw County. Simon said the highway patrol and Kershaw were notified of the situation, and both provided assistance. McCathern and fellow Traffic Unit Sgt. Wilburn Christmas were among those involved in the pursuit, Simon said.

One of Lee's patrol vehicles, a Ford Mustang, was capable of keeping up with the Passat, Simon said.

However, the deputy had to stop pursuing after a dashboard light came on indicating the vehicle was running low on gas, he said.

At Exit 101 in Kershaw County, the Passat got off the highway again, turned around and got back on eastbound, Simon said.

The car then went into the median and traveled an unknown distance — possibly as long as a mile — and turned its headlights off and on at least once before striking some trees.

It was unclear whether the driver lost control on the highway or in the median.

Simon said, that as far as Lee deputies are aware, Miller was not wanted on any outstanding charges. McCathern's intent was to write a speeding ticket and send Miller on his way, Simon said.

Simon added that the chase was recorded on audio and by at least one patrol vehicle's dashboard videocamera. It was unclear when those recordings would be made public.

Kershaw County Deputy Coroner Joe Wilson said Miller was still in the car after the collision. Wilson said Miller was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:10 p.m.

It was unclear, Hughes said, whether Miller was wearing a seatbelt. Wilson added that an autopsy will not be performed.

Marcia Ward Knox was in the front seat, and Naomi Ward, 16 months old, was in a child safety seat in the back. Both are from Goldsboro, N.C. Knox was wearing a seatbelt, according to the highway patrol.

Hughes said Naomi was flown to Palmetto Health Richland, and Knox was transported by ambulance to the same Columbia hospital. Their conditions were not available Tuesday afternoon.

The highway patrol's Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team is investigating the collision.

Contact Content Team Leader Jason Wermers at jwermers@theitem.com or (803) 774-1225.