One person is dead after a vehicle chase ended in a crash in Polk County Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol said 31-year-old Willie Gist of Spartanburg, South Carolina, died after a single-vehicle crash along Hunting Country Road.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post a deputy initiated a traffic stop around 1:30 p.m. on Landrum Road when the driver of the suspect vehicle fled.
A chase ensued through the city of Landrum, according to the sheriff’s office.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the driver of the suspect vehicle lost control in a curve, ran off the road to the right and went down an embankment. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff's office said Hunting Country Road was closed between Carriage Row and Cherokee Hill Lane as crews responded to the scene. Troopers confirmed that the road has since reopened.
STORY COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS.
