Police say the 19-year-old fled on foot in North Myrtle Beach before turning up in custody after another pursuit.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A 19-year-old Virginia man accused of racing the wrong way on U.S. 17 Bypass led Myrtle Beach police on an overnight pursuit, escaped on foot, then was later taken into custody in North Carolina after allegedly fleeing officers again in a different vehicle, according to police.
The pursuit began around 1:34 a.m. Thursday near Grand Dunes Boulevard, where a Myrtle Beach traffic officer spotted a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of U.S. 17 Bypass at a high rate of speed.
Police said the officer attempted a traffic stop, but the driver kept going and continued north into North Myrtle Beach. Investigators later determined the same vehicle had also been identified in connection with a juvenile-related case reported several hours earlier.
Chase Ends at Dead End, Driver Takes Off on Foot
The pursuit eventually reached the dead end of Main Street in North Myrtle Beach.
Police said the driver, who was the only person inside the vehicle at the time, jumped out and ran. Officers searched the area but were unable to find him.
Myrtle Beach police later learned the suspect had been arrested in North Carolina after allegedly leading law enforcement officers there on another pursuit in a separate vehicle.
Authorities identified the suspect as Lorenzo Nickholas Clairborne, 19, of Virginia.
Clairborne is wanted on multiple warrants issued by the Myrtle Beach Police Department, though the department did not immediately specify the charges connected to those warrants.
Police Say More Charges Could Be Coming
The investigation remains active, and Myrtle Beach police said additional charges could follow as detectives continue piecing together the overnight events.
The department has not released further details about the juvenile-related case allegedly connected to the vehicle or identified the North Carolina agency that ultimately took Clairborne into custody.
The case follows other recent Myrtle Beach police pursuits involving drivers accused of fleeing traffic stops in the Grand Strand area.
Police have not announced when Clairborne could be returned to South Carolina to face the outstanding Myrtle Beach warrants.