Suspect ditches car, jumps onto moving train to escape police
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are searching for a man who ditched the car he was driving Wednesday afternoon in west Charlotte before jumping onto a moving train in order to get away from officers.
Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the stolen vehicle as CMPD's helicopter followed it in the northbound lanes of Interstate 85.
CMPD said the situation was not a vehicle pursuit.
Only Channel 9 captured the moments as the suspect weaved in and out of traffic along I-85, and when the Honda nearly hit another car.
The Honda could be seen from Chopper 9 taking the Freedom Drive exit and speeding down the road and then turning into a parking lot and speeding through it.
At one point, the driver of the Honda jumped out of the car, ran toward some train tracks and then jumped onto a moving train in order to get away.
The driver ended up getting off of the moving train and ran into some woods in the Westover Hills neighborhood. Police could be seen from Chopper 9 searching the area for the man, near Skyview Road.
Police took two people in the car into custody, but are still looking for the driver.
The pursuit tracked through Donna Rae Williams’ west Charlotte neighborhood near Wilkinson Boulevard. Williams said officers searched two sheds in her backyard.
“Oh, my gosh,” she said. “I just could not believe how many officers there were. I was really afraid to leave.”