Hilton Head man wanted after Florida crashes will head south soon — but he won’t be driving

The 74-year-old Hilton Head man wanted in Florida for leaving two crash scenes in Flagler County last week was arrested in Beaufort County on Wednesday.

James Rex Voorhees was booked in the Beaufort County Detention Center by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office around 1 p.m., according to online detention center records. He currently is being held as a fugitive of justice.

Voorhees contacted the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to tell them he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office news release on Wednesday. That Sheriff’s Office contacted the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, and Voorhees was arrested without any trouble at his home and will be held until he is extradited to Flagler County.

“Thank you to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for their assist in taking this offender off the street,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “He will soon be in the Green Roof Inn,” a local nickname for the Flagler County Detention Facility.

Voorhees is accused of failing to stop after a crash at State Road 100 and Interstate 95 in Palm County, Fla., and then crashing into the deputy on a motorcycle who tried to pull him over for the first crash, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office news release. Deputy Bret Wood lost control of the motorcycle and sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Voorhees faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage for the first crash, leaving the scene of an accident with injury — a felony — for the second crash, and driving with a suspended license with knowledge, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Hilton Head man wanted after Florida crashes will head south soon — but he won’t be driving."