CAROLINA FOREST, SC (WBTW) – A man is facing charges after a carjacking and police pursuit in Carolina Forest.
An officer with the Horry County Police Department responded to the call on Renee Drive on Thursday morning around 7:30.
A witness told police he saw the victim pull her car up to the air pump at a gas station. As the victim was putting air in her tire, the suspect allegedly approached her vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. That’s when the victim tried to stop the suspect from getting away with the vehicle. As the suspect put the vehicle in “drive”, the victim was still partially hanging out the passenger front door. The suspect then pushed the victim out of the vehicle and fled the scene, according to a police report obtained by News13.
When police responded, the victim told officers her cell phone was still inside the vehicle. The victim’s husband was able to track the phone from his own cell phone and provide the location of the victim’s phone to officers. Using that information, officers were able to locate the victim’s vehicle.
Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the stolen vehicle, but the suspect refused to stop for emergency lights and sirens, according to the report. A brief pursuit took place and resulted in the suspect crashing the vehicle. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.
No other injuries resulted from the pursuit, police said. The suspect was transported to a facility to be medically cleared before being taken to the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
The suspect was later identified as Jason Britt Willetts of Whiteville, North Carolina. He was booked into jail on Thursday afternoon and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, robbery and failure to stop for a blue light. He remains jailed as of 3 p.m. Friday.
