Driver arrested after low-speed chase ends in Caldwell County

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A police chase involving a stolen car that lasted about an hour ended in Caldwell County.

Witness Dakota Dudman had plenty of time to shoot video of the low-speed pursuit along Abington Road, west of Lenoir. In Dudman’s video, a Nissan Versa struggles to stay above 10 mph, with its front tires blown out after it ran over spike strips.

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“That car was going downhill,” Dudman told Channel 9. “It was pretty bad. I didn’t even think he was going to make it over the hill, but sure enough, it sure did.”

The chase started after deputies said the car was stolen from the parking lot of the Dollar General on Taylorsville Road, about 15 miles away.

Deputies said a tracking device allowed them to find the car not far from the store, but when they tried to pull it over, the driver took off. Police in Lenoir used stop sticks to flatten the tires about 10 miles away near a roundabout on Highway 90.

Deputies said the driver, Lee Miller Jr., never stopped and drove toward downtown Hudson, where police had blocked Main Street because of a Christmas parade.

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Since Miller couldn’t get into Hudson, deputies said he drove west for another eight miles, mostly on the rims of the wheels. He eventually came to a stop.

Miller is locked up at the county jail under a $125,000 bond and was charged with speeding to elude, automobile larceny and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Deputies said they did not use a PIT maneuver to stop Miller because speeds were too low.

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8 arrested in connection with kidnapping, shooting in Caldwell County

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