COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Officers with three law enforcement agencies are searching for at least one person after a police pursuit ended with a crash in a Columbia park Wednesday afternoon.
The search is concentrated near Greenview Park, which is near North Main Street and Interstate 20.
According to a spokesperson with the Columbia Police Department, the chase originated during a traffic stop in the town of Lexington and ended when the suspect's Jeep Cherokee crashed into another vehicle near the park.
An officer who was patrolling a neighborhood which had recently seen a rash of car break-ins tried to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it sped away.
It is unclear why the vehicle fled police, but a spokesperson for Lexington PD says the tag on the back of the vehicle was reported as stolen.
During the chase, the suspect sideswiped another vehicle near Ginny Lane and US 378.
Tabitha Miller's car was damaged in the crash, but she's happy to be alive.
"I'm grateful for life," said Miller. "I could've been in it."
After hitting Miller's car, the driver took off.
Miller was at a church conference blocks away when the service was stopped.
"They said there'd been an accident," she said. "I came down here and this is what I found."
"No matter what situations come, we know where our faith lies," said Miller. "That's only material. I thank God for my life."
Richland County deputies joined in on the pursuit and Columbia Police are assisting with the search and setting up a perimeter.
Police believe there was only one person in the vehicle.
If you see anybody suspicious in the area, you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
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The Jeep Cherokee is the vehicle involved in the pursuit. (Source: Taylor Kearns)
