A lawman and suspect are recovering from injuries suffered during last Wednesday night's bizarre sequence of chases, collisions and the hijacking of a sheriff deputy's cruiser.
It played out like a "Smokey and the Bandit" episode, but the very real hazards eclipsed any shred of humor. It started when a state trooper radioed Anderson County deputies for help in the pursuit a speeding car southbound on I-85.
The fugitive's car collided with an eighteen-wheeler, and when the law officers stated the investigation, the suspect bolted, ran to the sheriff's deputy's car and drove off in it.
The chase resumed, continued through Oconee County near the Georgia line where the suspect wrecked the deputy' cruiser, jumped out and ran. The official report says he was captured by a K9 -team, arrested and taken to the hospital along with one of the deputies.
It's not clear exactly how either of them got hurt, but the injuries are said to be minor. The suspect's identity has not been released, as of the time of this report.