‘Split-second decision’: Deputy T-bones car to end chase in Union County

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A Union County deputy T-boned a woman’s car Wednesday morning to stop her from driving the wrong way on the highway, officials said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the crash happened near the Monroe Expressway at the intersection of Unionville-Indian Trail Road and Secrest Shortcut Road. Deputies said just after noon on social media that the crash was the result of a chase.

Deputies told Channel 9 anchor John Paul that the suspect, 46-year-old Salama Horne, was driving at speeds of 90 mph in the wrong direction onto the Monroe Bypass for nearly seven miles when she got off on the Unionville-Indian Trail Road exit. Horne tried to get back on the expressway heading the wrong way and that was when the deputy T-boned her car to stop her.

“It was a split-second decision,” said UCSO Deputy James Maye. “He just happened to be in the right place at the right time to prevent a major loss of life.”

Deputies had started pursuing Horne in Monroe for a minor traffic violation, officials said. The deputy involved in the crash was not hurt and Horne was taken to the hospital.

“An extreme measure but this was an extreme situation,” Maye said. “Our deputy believed this driver was going to hurt, if not kill, another motorist. So he decided to place himself in harm’s way instead of those motorists. So he used his vehicle to stop it.”

Deputies charged Horne with several offenses, including felony flee to elude, DWI, driving the wrong way and failure to stop at a red light. The two other people in the car with her were not charged.

Deputies did not release the name of the deputy involved.

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