2 separate crashes during police chase leave 1 dead, 2 injured in Hampton County
A 21-year-old woman died and two other people were injured in two separate car crashes during a multi-agency police chase last week in downtown Hampton, local officials say.
At about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, an Estill Police Department officer tried to pull a car over for a traffic stop in town limits, Capt. A.D. Williams said in a statement to The Island Packet Tuesday afternoon. Instead of pulling over, the car sped off, starting the police chase.
The Gifford Police Department and Hampton County Sheriff’s Office joined the chase as the suspect drove through their jurisdictions, a Sheriff’s Office news release said.
The driver being sought by police was Deangelo Lashon Brown, 21, of Estill, who was later arrested and charged by the Gifford Police with failure to stop for a blue light.
In November, Brown was charged with seven counts of armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, first-degree burglary, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and kidnapping, according to Hampton County court documents.
Gifford Police deferred all questions to lawyer Drew Hamilton Butler. When reached Tuesday afternoon, Butler said he was unable to comment on specifics because he was waiting on documents from the Sheriff’s Office and S.C. Highway Patrol.
The chase ended when the Brown’s car collided head-on with another car in front of the Gate Station Convenience Store on U.S. 278 in Hampton, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
Jasmine Adkins of Hampton County, who was a passenger in Brown’s vehicle, died after being transported to a Hampton Regional Medical Center, Hampton County Coroner Ernie Washington said Tuesday morning.
Latrenda Brown, who was driving the second car and not believed to be related to Deangelo Brown, was immediately airlifted to Savannah for emergency medical treatment, according to a news release from her lawyer, Justin Bamberg. Her condition was not available on Tuesday.
Separately, less than a half mile away, a Hampton County deputy who was assisting in the chase was involved in a crash at the intersection of Shaw Drive and U.S. 278.
The driver of that car, Arlian Barnett, is also being represented by Bamberg, the lawyer’s news release said.
Barnett, an Estill High School teacher, had to be extracted from her car and transported to Hampton Regional Medical Center, the release said. Her condition also was not available on Tuesday.
The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating both crashes.
