Teen killed in high-speed chase in Kershaw County; SCHP investigating
Kershaw County Sheriff's Office says it is unclear at this time why the teen chose to flee from the deputy.
KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) – Early morning on Sunday, January 29th, a deputy noticed two vehicles parked in the side parking lot of a closed Dollar General located on Hwy 1 South between Elgin and Lugoff, according to investigators.
According to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy approached the vehicles to investigate and one of the vehicles backed up over a curb and drove away at a fast rate of speed toward Lugoff. The deputy got back in his patrol vehicle and attempted to chase the fleeing vehicle. Investigators say the deputy had almost caught up to the vehicle when it made a sudden left turn onto Richardson Blvd. The vehicle was moving too fast for the turn and crashed into a wooded area striking a large tree, according to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say unfortunately, the 17 year old driver did not survive the accident. The coroner identified the teen as Laila Rose Houser who was a senior at Camden High School. According to investigators, Houser was not wearing a seat belt. There were no passengers in the vehicle and no other vehicle was involved.
Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office says it is unclear at this time why Houser chose to flee from the deputy. SCHP’s Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) was called to the scene to conduct the accident investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to keep the driver’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
