News

Deputies catch driver after pursuit

Timothy Burris

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 15, 2020

MILLS RIVER — A 49-year-old driver running from sheriff's deputies attempted to hit several oncoming vehicles head on before law officers forced him off the road and caught him, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff’s office received a call at 12:41 a.m. Thursday about a man causing a disturbance in the parking area of Waycaster Tire on Boylston Highway in Mills River. People reported that the man was threating to do harm to himself or the responding officers. Charged was Timothy Burris of Asheville.

The officers gave pursuit when they saw Burris driving away. When they tried to make a vehicle stop on Boylston Highway, the driver sped away toward Transylvania County. As officers were chasing the vehicle on N.C. 280, they saw the driver swerve several times to try to ram oncoming vehicles head-on. Because the driver was endangering the lives of innocent motorists, deputies forced the suspect's vehicle off the road in an effort to immobilize it, the sheriff's office said. The driver was immediately taken into custody and transported by ambulance to Pardee Hospital for observation.

Burris was charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest, felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for use, storage or sale of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault on a government official and damage to property.