High-speed chase ends in crash
By John Joyce
Published in News on May 19, 2015 1:46 PM
A Goldsboro man was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville after a high-speed chase with police on a four-wheeler through a residential area ended in a wreck Monday evening, a Goldsboro Police report said.
Speeds in excess of 75 miles per hour were reached during the chase in areas where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour.
The driver of the four-wheeler, Brandon Ramon Burden, 31, 606 S. Claiborne St., will face citations for seven stop sign violations, two stop light violations, a failure to yield violation and one count of careless and reckless driving -- and will also be cited for failing to register the vehicle, failing to insure the vehicle and for not wearing a helmet.
More felony charges are pending.
The chase ended when the 4-wheeler Burden was driving collided with a Cadillac at the intersection of Evergreen Avenue and South Best Street at 7:40 p.m., according to the Goldsboro police wreck report.
Patrol officers noticed Burden driving the 4-wheeler on a public road without a helmet -- both of which are against the law -- at Park Avenue and followed him south on Kornegay Street where he decided to accelerate to try to get away, the report said.
"The officers were doing speed enforcement on Park Avenue. We've had some citizen-driven complaints about speeders in that area, so that's why they were there," Maj. Michael West said.
He said Burden actually came to a stop when he saw the officers, then made the turn onto Kornegay Street. The officers pursued.
From there, Burden turned onto East Walnut Street and continued onto Evergreen Avenue before crashing into the Cadillac at South Best Street. His estimated speeds during the pursuit topped out at 80 miles per hour.
"The officers have to stop at each intersection to make sure it is clear before proceeding. (Burden) wasn't stopping ... so at each intersection he got a little bit farther ahead," West said.
West said it was unclear if Burden saw the Cadillac and that is why he applied the brakes, or if he was planning on making the turn at South Best Street.
"For whatever reason, he was approaching Best Street and he locked it up. He left 125 feet of skid before impact," West said.
The driver of the Cadillac, Carl Henry Rouse, 70, of South Best Street, was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital by Wayne County EMS to be checked out, the report said.
Although officials at Vidant Medical Center said Burden was not listed in their registry, Wayne Memorial Hospital official Kim Anderson confirmed he was transported there from Wayne Memorial.