Chase in Wise Co. ends in head-on collision that leaves one person dead | WJHL

WISE, Virginia (WJHL) – One person died in a head-on collision that occurred during a police chase in Wise, Virginia on Wednesday.

A joint news release from the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office said the pursuit began when officers noticed a silver Audi on US-23 South in the town of Pound that was the subject of a BOLO warrant out of Hazard, Kentucky.

The press release said the car was connected to a suspected theft and subsequent chase in Hazard earlier in the day that was ultimately ended by Kentucky state law enforcement at the state line.

When Wise County officers saw the vehicle on U.S. 23 South, it “immediately began accelerating at a high rate of speed and weaving through traffic,” the release states. Due to the vehicle’s BOLO status and high rate of speed, officers initiated a pursuit, the release states.

“Shortly after the pursuit began, the suspect vehicle crossed the median and began traveling into oncoming traffic, traveling in the northbound lane on southbound US 23,” the release states. The vehicle then narrowly avoided several civilian vehicles while traveling the wrong way, at times on the gravel shoulder.

The press release said a deputy in the pursuit indicated he would “attempt to terminate the pursuit” because there was a deadly threat. That deputy then briefly struck the suspect’s vehicle with his patrol car, but the suspect did not crash, the press release said.

The suspect continued driving into oncoming traffic on US 23 and the release states police attempted twice to stop the vehicle with spike barriers, but were unsuccessful as the suspect drove across the median to avoid them.

Police briefly diverted the chase back into the proper lanes, but when the chase reached Wise, the suspect drove back into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a passenger vehicle, the news release said.

“Deputies and other police officers detained the occupants of the suspect vehicle and rendered aid to the occupants of both vehicles involved,” the press release states. “One person was killed in the collision.”

The Wise County District Attorney’s Office said four people, including the suspect, were taken to the hospital. Virginia State Police (VSP) were called to investigate the accident, the press release said. Charges are pending against the Audi driver.

The press release states that due to ongoing investigations, the identities of all those involved will be kept secret for the time being.

We would like to thank all fire, rescue and law enforcement agencies for their response to this incident: Wise Police Department, Norton Police Department, UVA-Wise Police Department, Virginia State Police, Wise Rescue Squad, Wise Fire Department, Norton Rescue Squad, Norton Fire Department, LifeCare Ambulance Service, C-Trans Ambulance Service, VSP Medflight and Highlands Air Rescue.

Wise County Sheriff’s Office
Wise County Commonwealth Office