High speed chase ends in shooting death of driver

A Charlotte man is dead, apparently from a gunshot after leading police on a high-speed chase across multiple counties before crashing in Surry County.

Dashawn Sanchez Samuels, 20, of Charlotte, died in the incident, although it is not clear who fired the shot that killed him.

The incident unfolded shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, when a North Carolina Highway patrol officer attempted to stop a blue passenger car on I-77 North in Iredell County that was “being operated in a reckless manner,” according to a statement from the Highway Patrol.

“The vehicle did not stop for emergency lights and sirens and a pursuit ensued. Further information obtained on the vehicle during the pursuit revealed that it was a stolen vehicle,” the agency said.

While the Highway Patrol would not comment on how fast Samuels may have been driving during the chase, police scanner traffic indicated that law enforcement initially attempted to stop the vehicle while it was traveling 84 mph in a 55 mph zone. During the chase, which included the fleeing driving passing multiple vehicles using the shoulder of I-77, speeds reached as high as 130 mph.

Once in Surry County, near mile marker 85, the vehicle crashed.

“Troopers repeatedly gave verbal commands for the driver to exit the vehicle. After receiving no response, troopers approached the vehicle and found the driver...deceased with an apparent gunshot wound,” the Highway Patrol said.

Samuels was the sole occupant of the vehicle, they said.

The agency did not respond to questions regarding how many shots may have been fired, if the fatal wound was self-inflicted or if law enforcement fired on the suspect.

The case remains under investigation.