CHINA GROVE — The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged a juvenile with felony fleeing to elude after a pursuit and crash Saturday night.

According to reports, a deputy in a marked vehicle driving on I-85 southbound spotted a car approaching then passing him at a high rate of speed about 10:30 p.m. As the vehicle passed the deputy, the driver turned off the car’s lights. While the deputy was calling in the situation, the vehicle swerved across all lanes of traffic to take the Peach Orchard Road exit. The deputy chased the driver, who ended up in the back yard of a house on Peach Orchard Road before coming back onto the roadway and heading back toward the highway.

Another deputy, in a vehicle more suited to pursuit, took up the chase. The suspect car reached speeds of 90 mph before hitting another car on Mt. Hope Church Road. Both drivers were taken to Northeast Medical Center for treatment, and the driver who was hit was treated and released. The juvenile suffered slightly more serious injuries.

While the suspect driver was treated, his parents were notified and arrived at the hospital, and a deputy went to the magistrate’s office and obtained a warrant for felony fleeing. The juvenile was charged, then released into the custody of his parents.

A search of the vehicle the juvenile was driving turned up a Springfield .40 caliber handgun and one magazine, both of which were seized. The ownership of the gun has not been determined.

A juvenile petition for possession of a firearm has been applied for. Under Chapter 20 violations, juveniles can be charged for motor vehicle offenses because they are old enough to hold a license to drive. The firearm charge will have to be decided by juvenile justice.