Man stole 2 cars, a truck, a UTV and a motorcycle during chase, NC sheriff says

A South Carolina man trying to outrun deputies in four counties racked up a dozen charges when he stole two cars, a UTV, a motorcycle and a truck with a trailer attached, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The 25-year-old suspect was ultimately caught in a foot chase, after tires on one of the stolen vehicles were popped, officials say.

The three-hour chase began around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, when a vehicle reported stolen in Spartanburg, S.C., was spotted 25 miles north in Henrietta, N.C., the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Stop sticks were used to puncture the tires on Harris Henrietta Road, igniting a desperate getaway that alternated between running on foot and driving a series of hurriedly stolen vehicles, officials said.

Some were crashed and others were abandoned as the suspect continued to vanish in one county and reappear in another, officials said.

“Due to the suspect fleeing the scene without a known direction, Rutherford County deputies returned to North Carolina and proceeded to stay near the state line area,” the sheriff’s office said.

“A deputy received information that officers from South Carolina were in pursuit of the vehicle stolen from E. Cudd Rd. and were traveling towards Rutherford County. ... Once again deputies assisted with the pursuit which traveled through Rutherford County and into Polk County.”

Stop sticks were again tried by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in the vehicle being halted and the driver being captured during a foot chase around 2:30 p.m., officials said.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Austin Shane Tucker of Spartanburg, was taken to Rutherford Regional Hospital “for medical clearance,” then arrested, Rutherford County officials said.

He has been charged with:

• Five counts of felony flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle
• Three counts of possession of stolen motor vehicle
• Two counts of failing to heed light or siren
• Felony larceny of motor vehicle
• No motorcycle endorsement
• Reckless driving
• No motorcycle helmet
• Wrong way driving on dual lane highway
• Resist public officer
• Driving while impaired
• No operators license
• Failure to stop for stop sign

“Tucker will also have charges from Polk County N.C., Cherokee County S.C., and Spartanburg County S.C.,” the sheriff’s office said.

Rutherford County is about a 75-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Man stole 2 cars, a truck, a UTV and a motorcycle during chase, NC sheriff says."