Driver arrested after overturning car following police chase

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 30, 2024

SALISBURY — A man was arrested after police say he fled from a traffic stop, eventually running off of a dead end road and overturning his car.

The incident began at approximately 1:35 a.m. on Saturday, when a deputy noticed a Nissan Altima traveling at a high rate of speed on North Interstate 85, according to a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy clocked the car at a rate of 90 mph and began to attempt to catch up to it. While catching up to the Altima, the deputy noticed it switching “unnecessarily” between multiple lanes of traffic.

Another deputy had stopped a separate vehicle further along the interstate and the resulting slowing of traffic allowed the deputy to catch up to the Altima. However, every time the deputy got in the same lane behind the Altima, the driver would switch lanes, the spokesperson said. The deputy reportedly paced the vehicle at approximately 100 mph.

The deputy then turned on his lights and siren in an attempt to get the car to stop, at which point the driver of the Altima allegedly turned off all of the outside lights and sped up to approximately 115 mph in an attempt to flee. They began switching lanes even more erratically, even cutting off a tractor-trailer and almost causing an accident, according to the spokesperson.

The Altima then got off the interstate at Julian Road, allegedly running the red light at the intersection and proceeding to Truck Avenue. The deputy recognized Truck Avenue as a dead-end road and slowed down. Eventually, the deputy stopped at the end of the road, where he found that the Altima was no longer visible.

The deputy reportedly began to search the grass in the area, where he eventually found the vehicle turned onto the passenger side 100 yards past the end of the road. The deputy then heard the horn honk and noticed the driver-side door open, at which point the driver got out of the vehicle and followed the deputy’s orders to get onto the ground. The driver was then arrested.

The deputy then searched the car and reportedly found a 10 mm Glock handgun, 5 grams of marijuana and $780 in cash.

The driver, identified as 21-year-old Jakari Deondre Davis, was charged with speeding, carrying a concealed gun, possession of up to 0.5 ounces of marijuana and felony fleeing to elude. Davis was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and received a $100,000 bond.

The deputy also obtained a search warrant to search the parts of the car he could not reach while it was still on its side. Nothing was found during the secondary search on Sunday, the spokesperson said.