RIDGEWAY — A Columbia man faces a slew of charges after allegedly leading Richland County deputies on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 100 mph, struck a civilian vehicle, and ended only after the suspect’s truck was disabled against a light pole.
Andrew Pender, the driver of a black Dodge Ram pickup truck, was arrested Friday afternoon following a chase through Blythewood, ending in Ridgeway.
The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. in Richland County when deputies observed Pender disregard a traffic signal at the intersection of Brighton Hill and Parklane roads. When deputies attempted a traffic stop, Pender fled, leading units onto I-277 South and I-20 West before exiting onto Farrow Road.
According to the incident report, the pursuit continued onto Wilson Boulevard, where Pender briefly turned into the campus of Keenan High School before exiting back onto the main road and heading toward Fairfield County. During the chase, Pender allegedly drove into oncoming lanes of traffic and blew through multiple stop signs.
At 9933 Wilson Blvd. in Blythewood, Pender’s truck rear-ended a silver Chevrolet Equinox. Rather than stopping, Pender continued to flee through Blythewood and into Fairfield County, leaving two occupants of the Equinox with minor injuries.
The pursuit ended near the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and Macedonia Church Road after Pender lost control of the truck and struck a light pole, causing damage to power lines. Pender became pinned inside the wreckage and had to be extricated by fire and EMS crews.
After being read his Miranda rights, Pender reportedly admitted to deputies that he fled because he was in possession of narcotics. A search of the vehicle uncovered an unlabeled orange pill bottle containing Oxycodone and Alprazolam, as well as a small amount of marijuana in a backpack, the report said.
Pender was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries before being booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
He is charged with failure to stop for blue lights (leading a high-speed pursuit), hit-and-run (attended vehicle), reckless driving, possession of a Schedule II narcotic, possession of a Schedule IV narcotic, simple possession of marijuana.
Pender also received a written warning for the initial traffic light violation. No deputies were injured during the pursuit.