By Staff
Staff Reports
The driver of a 1993 Geo Storm being pursued by law-enforcement officials died as the result of a collision with an SUV on Monday evening, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver was identified as Raymond Brooks Jr., 47, a resident of the Bath area, according to 1st Sgt. K.P. Pitts with the N.C. Highway Patrol, which is investigated the incident.
At approximately 4:40 p.m. Monday, deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to Bunyan Crossing near Washington reference to a report of an impaired driver who had driven his vehicle into a ditch.
The driver left the scene of the accident before deputies arrived on scene, according to the sheriff’s office. At approximately 5:22 p.m., the sheriff’s office received a report about the same vehicle driving recklessly on Slatestone Road and headed toward Washington High School. Both callers reported that the driver appeared impaired, according to the sheriff’s office.
A patrol deputy located the suspect vehicle on Slatestone Road and attempted to perform a vehicle stop. The driver failed to stop and continued to drive recklessly at a high rate of speed. The driver turned onto Old Bath Highway and crossed into the left lane of travel multiple times, according to the sheriff’s office. The vehicle turned onto Lizzard Slip Road and then onto Slatestone Road. The suspect vehicle abruptly stopped several times. The driver refused to obey commands to exit the vehicle and made movements that led deputies to believe he may have had a weapon.
The suspect vehicle went left of center on Slatestone Road, past Everette Road, and struck a GMC Acadia in the oncoming lane. The SUV was occupied by a lone female driver. Deputies immediately requested rescue/EMS assistance and assessed the conditions of the suspect and victim.
Pitts did not know the name of the female driver.
After being transported by EMS personnel to Beaufort County Medical Center, the driver of the suspect vehicle, Brooks, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver of the SUV was treated at the hospital and released.
“Officers were in the area looking for him because they heard he was impaired,” Pitts said.