In chase, driver avoids spike strips at bridge-tunnel
A high-speed chase beginning in Northampton County concluded on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel on Friday.
The chase involved a silver Mercedes SUV and multiple police agencies. Police pursued the driver from Northampton County and over the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel at the start of the Friday rush hour.
On the police scanner, speeds were reported to have reached 100 miles per hour.
Northampton Sheriff David Doughty told 13News Now the Cheriton Police Department attempted to pull over the SUV for "reckless driving by speed." The SUV was reportedly going 87 miles per hour.
The Cheriton Police Department called the Northampton County Sheriff's Office for assistance around 2:40 p.m., and deputies joined the pursuit.
Before reaching the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel, the SUV was traveling at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Deputies laid down spike strips in front of the bridge, but the SUV drove around them.
Authorities from the Eastern Shore stopped their pursuit roughly halfway across the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel due to safety concerns to other vehicles.
Virginia Beach police were notified of the pursuit, and officers were waiting when the SUV reached their side of the bridge-tunnel.
The chase continued into Virginia Beach and onto Interstate 64. Virginia State Police stopped the traffic from entering the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, leaving the shoulder open for the fleeing driver to pass, and laid down what appeared to be spike strips in an attempt to stop the vehicle.
The chase came to a conclusion somewhere inside of the tunnel. The vehicle crashed inside of the tunnel, according to police.
The driver was taken into custody and has been charged with several violations including two attempts of malicious wounding, felony eluding, reckless driving, driving without a license and various registration violations. More charges are possibly pending.
The tunnel reopened to traffic after 4 p.m.
No other information was available Saturday morning.