Neighborhoods wake to 'roving patrols' after chase ends in driver shooting self, passenger on the run

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office was searching Thursday for a person who ran from a police chase and crash, but said there was not an immediate threat to the public.

The manhunt began around 10 p.m. in Cary on Wednesday night.

Deputies attempted to pull over a car driving recklessly on East Williams Street near U.S. Highway 1, but the car sped away. According to Broadcastify police radio traffic, the chase reached speeds of up to 130 mph before the crash, and the driver ran at least six vehicles off the road while weaving through traffic.

When deputies approached the car, they found the driver dead of a self-inflected gunshot wound. A passenger jumped and ran from the car, prompting a manhunt and lockdown of neighborhoods in the vicinity of Tryon Road, Yates Mill Pond Road, Jones Franklin Road and Dillard Drive.

Law enforcement officers closed roads, patrolled streets and searched along the greenway into Thursday morning. They warned residents to lock their doors and stay inside.

People who live in the search area received an emergency notification on their phones around 10 p.m., warning them to stay inside. It looked like this:

Around 2:30 a.m., the sheriff's office said the search of the immediate area had concluded, and they gave an 'all clear.' However, roving patrols will continue throughout the area, as the passenger has not yet been found.

By 10 a.m., the sheriff's office said there was no reason to believe that the person on the run was still in the area.

"There is no known threat to the community," the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff Willie Rowe thanked residents.

"I want to thank the community for their cooperation and patience as we investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. Our priority is making Wake County a safe place to live, work, and visit," he said.

Chase, crash, search frighten, frustrate Cary residents

One resident said the manhunt and road closures left him unable to return home. Others were trapped in the neighborhood and unable to leave for hours.

"It's been very, very, very frustrating honesty," one resident said. "I have my little brother and my mother and sister at home."

Anyone with any information that may assist in the investigation is asked to call the Wake County Sheriff’s Office at (919) 856-6911 or dial 911.