Elizabeth City Police say a man turned himself in on Sunday afternoon after leading police on a chase early that morning throughout the city.
Police say an officer noticed a gray Mercury Marquis speeding on Ehringhaus Street before making an abrupt turn onto McArthur Drive and then continued on to Hughes Boulevard where it failed to stop for a stop light before turning.
The officer began to stop the vehicle but the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and proceeded north. The vehicle turned off Hughes Boulevard and made several turns to attempt to elude responding officers.
The vehicle was located speeding down Hughes Boulevard, passing vehicles and nearly missing them as he swerved around them, causing one vehicle to run off the road.
Officers continued to pursue and caught up with the vehicle near Knobs Creek Drive and engaged in trying to stop the vehicle.
After following the vehicle for less than a mile, the vehicle slowed to between 60-70 mph at times due to what appeared to be mechanical failure.
The officers continued following the vehicle out of town and near the intersection of North Side Road, the vehicle lost control, overshot the turn and crossed the median, dodging an electric pole and going into a ditch.
Officers then positioned their vehicles to make an arrest but the suspect’s vehicle accelerated out of the ditch toward a police cruiser. The officer was able to drive forward to avoid a direct hit, but the vehicle hit the officer’s unit at the driver’s side rear tire, disabling it.
The suspect’s vehicle then continued driving towards another officer who was outside of her vehicle at the time.
The officer was able to avoid being hit but the suspect drove into the front end of her police vehicle before backing up and continuing down North Side Road. The officer then followed the vehicle to a dead end on Tift Lane where it U-Turned and came back towards the officer before turning off the road and into the backyard of 110 Tift Lane.
The vehicle came to a stop and the driver fled on foot.
At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, Antone Tremaine Whidbee turned himself in to the Elizabeth City Police Department without incident.
He is charged with:
2 Felony Counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon with the Intent to Kill
2 Counts of Injury to Personal Property
2 Counts of Hit and Run
1 Felony Count of Speeding to Elude Arrest
1 Count of Driving While License Revoked
1 Count of Careless and Reckless Driving
1 Count of Speeding 100+ MPH in a 45 MPH Work zone
1 Count of Littering
1 Count of Expired Vehicle Registration
1 Count of Transporting an open container of Spirituous Liquor
1 Count of Operating a vehicle with no Currant Inspection
1 Count of Failing to Stop at a Stop Light
Whidbee remains in the Albemarle District Jail on a $300,000 secured bond.
