Woman steals police car and leads cops on a 140-mph highway chase, NC officers say

A woman stole a patrol car from police and led them on a high-speed pursuit down US-74 North Carolina State Highway Patrol officials said.

An officer with the Shelby Police Department was speaking to someone and had their vehicle open, WSOC reported, when a 30-year-old woman of Shelby, North Carolina, is accused of getting in the driver’s seat and speeding off.

The chase began around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4, in Cleveland County, officials said. It lasted about seven minutes and crossed into Gaston County before patrol officers flattened the vehicle’s tires with deflating “stop sticks.”

The woman reached speeds of 140 miles per hour, according to WSOC and Fox 46. When she came to a stop, the outlets reported, officials said they had to break windows because she refused to exit the vehicle.

The woman was arrested by highway patrol officials and charged with unspecified felonies and misdemeanors, according to the statement.

Shelby is about 45 miles west of downtown Charlotte.

Emmalyse Brownstein

McClatchy DC

Emmalyse Brownstein is a National Real-Time Reporter covering the Southeast. She’s an alumna of the University of Miami, where she was editor-in-chief of Distraction Magazine. She has reported for Miami New Times, Wine Spectator and more.