COLUMBIA, S.C. — One teen is dead, and five others are hurt after a high-speed chase that ended with an SUV in a pond overnight.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department said deputies were assisting the South Carolina Highway Patrol in a pursuit just before midnight. The sheriff's department said troopers stopped a Jeep Cherokee but said the SUV then ran from the traffic stop, at times reaching speeds over 100 mph.
The chase ended in a pond near Lost Creek Drive and Boat Ramp Road in the Chestnut Hill Plantation subdivision. The sheriff's department said deputies jumped into the water to rescue five teenagers. Five people who ranged in age from 14 to 18 were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Richland County Sheriff's Department divers searched the water for three hours for any additional people but could not see in the muddy water and had to resume their search on Saturday morning. Just after 10 a.m., divers found the body of a teen boy.
The coroner's office has not publicly identified the teen. Richland County authorities said initially that the Newberry County Sheriff's Office would oversee the pursuit and crash investigation. However, in a later update, their department said they would be involved in the investigation alongside the Columbia Police Department.