Local law enforcement officials engaged in two high-speed chases last week, one of which ended with a wreck.
The first chase originated in Andrews after Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer noticed a vehicle registered to a man wanted in connection with outstanding warrants. Around noon Nov. 17, the sheriff saw the man’s truck parked near the post office in Andrews; however, the suspect was nowhere to be found.
“He wasn’t with the vehicle, but there was a dark-haired woman in the truck,” Palmer said. “I told the guys to back off since he wasn’t there, and I watched to see if he would show up.”
Palmer watched the vehicle for several hours, while the woman in the truck communicated with someone from her cell phone.
“At this point, I’m thinking he had gone to buy dope and she was waiting for him to get back,” the sheriff said.
Palmer then received a call from a county commissioner that required him to leave the area and pause surveillance on the truck. As he returned a short time later to continue watching the truck, a chase ensued.
“When I came back, I passed the vehicle,” Palmer said. “I could see the woman was driving, but I couldn’t see him in the vehicle. He’s been known to lie on the floorboards.”
As the woman reached the intersection of Cover Avenue and U.S. 19/74, she turned right toward Topton and accelerated “almost out of sight.” Along the way, the woman tossed items out of the window and tried to weave through traffic.
Palmer sped up to more than 100 mph to try and catch her, marking areas along the way where she discarded items so he could return to confiscate them.
“When the road narrowed to two lanes, she tried to cross the double yellow lines to pass but changed her mind,” he said. “I guess she saw cars coming.”
As the woman changed her mind and swerved back into the right lane, a motorist in front of her slammed on the brakes. The woman then drove off the road to avoid crashing into the rear of the other car, which allowed Palmer to jump out of his vehicle and arrest her.
“A citizen unwittingly helped me catch her,” Palmer said.
When he searched the truck, Palmer found an ounce of methamphetamine on the floorboard and cash scattered throughout the vehicle. He also found a pill bottle that may have contained heroin, which has been sent to the lab for testing.
While Palmer was processing the vehicle, dispatch received a call from a motorist who said he saw the woman throw a pistol out of the truck window during the chase. The man waited next to the weapon until Palmer arrived to collect it. Officials say the 9mm Glock was previously reported stolen.
Palmer also searched the areas where he saw the woman toss items and found more meth on the side of the road. Court documents say authorities found a total of 46 grams of meth during the arrest.
“She admitted she threw stuff out the window three different times,” he said. “I found some baggies that look like they may have exploded when they hit the pavement. Wind and cars could have blown some drugs off the road.”
Heather Daniels, 26, of Robbinsville, is charged with felony meth trafficking, felony possession of stolen property and misdemeanor eluding arrest. A judge set a $75,000 secured bond for the trafficking charge. Additional charges may be filed at a later date depending on lab results from the pill bottle.
As of press time, officials have not yet found the man Palmer initially hoped to arrest.
“Heather said that when he came into Andrews, he saw us and panicked, parked the car and took off walking,” Palmer said. “She sat there waiting on him to come back, and he never did. She doesn’t know where he went. He left her with the dope and the gun.”
The second chase involving sheriff’s personnel happened the following day. Officials say the chase originated on U.S. 64/74 in Wolf Creek, where a motorist later identified as Kevin Dewayne Durden sped away after a deputy initiated a traffic stop.
Officials say Durden sped westbound toward Tennessee but turned around. During the chase, Durden forced multiple vehicles off the road, according to authorities who say he eventually led law enforcement officials to Shady Grove Road and then Dickey Road, where a deputy had placed a spike strip in the street.
After he drove over the spikes, Durden lost control of the vehicle and spun “donuts” to regain traction, according to officials, who say he then headed down the wrong direction on U.S. 64/74. Deputies tapped his vehicle with theirs in an attempt to force him back in the correct direction.
“They hit him to keep him from going the wrong way on the four-lane,” Palmer said. “He hit the crossover and got on the right side of the road, and then they stopped him.”
Officials say the chase reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, and Durden ignored several stop signs during the chase. Two sheriff’s vehicles sustained damage as a result of hitting Durden to spin him in the correct direction.
“I’m just glad no one has been hurt in these chases. Anytime you have a high-speed chase, you get a little nervous because you don’t want the public to get hurt,” Palmer said. “But when people run, you don’t know why they’re running. You don’t know if they just murdered someone.”
Durden, 46, of Farner, Tenn., is charged with aggressive driving, eluding arrest and failure to yield to a traffic sign. At the time of the chase, he was wanted in connection with 2019 warrants charging him with felony larceny, burglary, and larceny after burglary.
Authorities believe Durden initiated a chase because of the outstanding warrants. A judge set a secured bond totaling $35,000.