STUARTS DRAFT, Va – Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith said a juvenile is lucky to be alive after he was ejected from his vehicle following a high-speed pursuit with deputies over the weekend.

Smith reported that at around 11:30 pm Saturday, a deputy clocked a vehicle traveling 86 miles an hour in the 28-hundred block of Stuarts Draft Highway.

After the deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop, the suspect took off and a chase ensued.

The suspect vehicle turned off of Stuarts Draft Highway onto Indian Ridge Road, passing vehicles on double lines, and still disregarding the deputy. The suspect vehicle then turned onto Cold Springs Road. The driver cut off the headlights in an attempt to evade the pursuing deputy.
Moments later, another deputy spotted the suspect vehicle turning onto Lee Jackson Highway, then onto Lofton Road. Once the deputies caught up to the suspect vehicle on Cold Springs Road, the suspect vehicle had crashed.
When the deputies approached the suspect vehicle, the driver was not in the vehicle. The driver then walked out of the wood line near the crash. The driver had been ejected from the vehicle and had injuries on the face and head area.
Since the suspect was a juvenile, no information was released regarding the name, age, or hometown in order to protect the juvenile’s identity.
Charges are pending from both the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police.

Smith cautioned parents please take this incident as an opportunity to educate your children on how traffic infractions or a criminal charge is not worth your life, just pull over!