Wanted man who crashed car spotted riding past deputies in Lyft, NC sheriff says
A man wanted in South Carolina on multiple extradition warrants tried to elude N.C. deputies by catching a Lyft ride after crashing his car, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
Deputies responded to a report of a driver smacking his car into a guardrail in front of The Bridge Restaurant before driving away, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
The restaurant is in the 5900 block of Indian Trail Fairview Road in Hemby Bridge.
Witnesses gave deputies video footage of the damaged red Mazda, along with its license plate information, sheriff’s officials said.
Deputies identified the car owner as a 28-year-old man who had a suspended driver’s license and the S.C. warrants for charges the sheriff’s office didn’t release.
Deputies found the Mazda abandoned nearby with its license plate removed. As deputies walked the area and deployed a drone, “a Lyft driver leaving the area caught their attention, and a traffic stop was conducted,” according to the sheriff’s office release.
As they spoke with the driver, deputies saw a man hiding on the rear floorboard of the car and arrested him without incident.
The man was jailed on a $100,000 secured bond pending a court appearance on an unscheduled date.
This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 9:22 AM.