Man driving Crown Victoria in woods was ‘victimizing assorted trees,’ NC sheriff says

A man in a stolen Ford Crown Victoria was “victimizing assorted trees and shrubbery” when he began driving through a dense forest in Union County, according to investigators in North Carolina.

It happened Dec. 22 in a rural area along Canal Road, and the suspect ended up on foot when the trees stood their ground, the Union County Sheriff’s Office reported in a Jan. 2 news release. Canal Road is about 45 miles southeast of Charlotte, near the South Carolina state line.

Deputies report they began chasing the driver when he “drew a great deal of attention to himself” by ramming the Crown Victoria through a fence gate.

Once past the gate, the 30-year-old driver “began victimizing assorted trees and shrubbery by driving through a heavily wooded area,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Due to the Crown Victoria’s lack of off-road capabilities, (he) was forced to flee on foot after the vehicle became disabled in the trees,” officials said. “After a short foot pursuit, (he) was apprehended by deputies.”

Deputies discovered the car was stolen and the driver was out of jail on probation, officials said.

The driver now faces a lengthy list of charges, including: possession of a stolen motor vehicle; resisting arrest; injury to trees/crops/land; second degree trespass; possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts felony probation violation, officials said.

Bond was set at $75,000.

This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 6:27 AM with the headline "Man driving Crown Victoria in woods was ‘victimizing assorted trees,’ NC sheriff says."