Local Man Leads Police on High-Speed Chase

Chapel Hill police arrested Edward Lashan Snipes, 27, of 104 New Stateside Drive at 1:10 a.m near the intersection of Caldwell and North Columbia streets, reports state.

Snipes was charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, one felony count of speeding to elude and one felony count of hit and run.

Snipes also was charged with one misdemeanor count each of unauthorized use of conveyance, injury to real property, driving with a revoked license and speeding.

Snipes' additional misdemeanor charges included two counts of injury to personal property, three counts of resisting, delaying and obstructing, five counts of stoplight violations and two counts of stop sign violations, reports state.

Chapel Hill police spokeswoman Jane Cousins said the police chase started early Saturday morning after officers allegedly clocked Snipes going 53 mph in a 35 mph zone near El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant located at 1404 E. Franklin St.

Cousins said officers attempted to make Snipes pull over, but he allegedly failed to yield and ran two red lights on Franklin Street -- at the intersection with Boundary Street and at Battle Lane, Cousins said. Cousins said at this point Chapel Hill police notified University police that the chase was headed for the campus area.

Snipes allegedly crashed into a traffic sign shortly after making a left onto Battle Lane but continued to drive away from police. The vehicle turned left onto Boundary Street and headed back toward Franklin Street, Cousins said.

After the vehicle ran the red light at Franklin and Boundary streets a second time, the officer in pursuit notified other officers of the chase, Cousins said.

Officers working on Graham Street were notified that the vehicle was headed down West Rosemary Street toward Carrboro, Cousins said.

After nearly hitting a waiting patrol car, the vehicle turned off of West Rosemary Street onto a side street and headed for Caldwell Street.

The vehicle crossed through the intersection of Church and Caldwell streets at an extremely high speed, reports state.

After the vehicle ran through the stop sign, its driver lost control of the vehicle. Snipes allegedly ran over a speed limit sign and spun around backward into a parked car, reports state.

The vehicle came to a stop in a resident's yard at 106 Caldwell St., reports state. "Snipes had minor injuries in the accident," Cousins said.

Snipes jumped from his vehicle and attempted to continue the chase on foot, Cousins said. Carrboro and Chapel Hill police caught Snipes after a short foot chase.

Upon further investigation, police learned that the vehicle did not belong to Snipes, Cousins said. On Feb. 1, a victim reported that an unknown subject had taken his car without permission. Reports indicated that the license plate of the vehicle reported missing matched that of the one Snipes allegedly drove on the chase. Cousins could not confirm that the car had been stolen.

The estimated damage to the 1994 Mercury Marquis was $10,000, reports state. The estimated damage to the parked car that Snipes hit was $15,000.

Snipes was confined to the Orange County Jail under a $50,000 secured bond, reports state.

Snipes, who could not be reached for comment, had his first appearance in the Orange County District Court in Hillsborough on Monday. He is scheduled to appear in court again Feb. 14.

As of Monday, Cousins was unable to comment on why Snipes initially decided to run from authorities.

"We don't know why he decided to flee from police."

The City Editor can be reached

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