BELMONT, N.C. — A juvenile driving a stolen vehicle was arrested late Tuesday after leading Belmont police officers on a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash in Charlotte, according to Belmont Police.
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Belmont police officers attempted to pull over the vehicle around 11 p.m. on Park Street in Belmont after observing careless driving that nearly caused crashes with several motorists. Suspecting the driver was impaired and posing a danger to the public, officers initiated a pursuit when the driver accelerated onto northbound Interstate 85.
The pursuit ended on Thomasboro Drive in Charlotte when the vehicle struck a telephone pole. After the impact, the driver refused to obey commands from officers and ran away on foot.
Belmont Police K-9 Bandit and his handler conducted a search, tracking from the crash scene. The police dog located the juvenile hiding in the bed of a pickup truck about a half-mile away, Belmont Police said.
Authorities confirmed the vehicle driven during the chase had been reported stolen out of Charlotte. The Belmont Police Department acknowledged the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for providing assistance during the response and search.