Driver Faces Charges After 100 MPH Two-County Chase

JOHNSTON COUNTY — A routine call about a suspicious vehicle escalated into a high-speed pursuit Thursday morning that stretched from Johnston County into Wake County and ended with a crash on Interstate 40 near Garner.

Deputies with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) were dispatched around 9:50 a.m. to River Dell Townes Avenue near Clayton after receiving a complaint about a suspicious vehicle. When deputies arrived, they made contact with a man seated inside the vehicle.

While a deputy was speaking with him, the driver suddenly sped away at a high rate of speed, according to Chief Deputy Jeff Caldwell.

A pursuit followed, with speeds exceeding 100 mph as the vehicle traveled through Johnston County and into Wake County. The chase ended when the driver crashed on Interstate 40 near Jones Sausage Road.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no injuries were reported.

The driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, fled the scene on foot and was not immediately apprehended.

Authorities later identified the suspect as 28-year-old Cephus Eugene Jones of Burlington. Officials said multiple charges are pending and warrants will be served upon his arrest, Chief Deputy Caldwell said.

The investigation remains ongoing.