Orangeburg & Calhoun Counties, SC (WLTX) - Calhoun County deputies and Orangeburg police are investigating after they say a teen took a school bus and led officers on a chase.
The incident began around 2:30 a.m. on Columbia Road near the town of St. Matthews. A Calhoun County deputy said he tried to stop the bus because it failed to dim its headlights.
However, officers say the bus didn't stop, and an officer began pursuing. According to an incident report, the vehicle kept swerving back and forth between the north and southbound lanes.
Deputies say the vehicle ran through several intersections, and other law enforcement agencies began to join the chase. The pursuit continued along US 21 into the city of Orangeburg at what officers describe as a "high rate of speed."
Eventually, the bus drove through the campus of South Carolina State University, where the driver rammed through three metal gates.
Finally, the bus went into a field off Highway 601 and wound up colliding with a brick warehouse.
When officers went up to the vehicle, they found a teenage male who was severely injured in the front passenger door loading area. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.
When asked by officers if someone else was on the bus, the report says the teen said there wasn't. However, officers say they saw a second suspect running from the area, but they were not able to catch him.
The Orangeburg Times & Democrat reports the bus was taken from Orangeburg Preparatory Schools Incorporated.
Investigators are still working to track the second person and to determine what charges will be filed.