On October 10, 2014 at approximately 11:45 p.m., Sgt. Walt Zerniak of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Unit was traveling on Highway 264 East near Washington, NC after a school football game. Sgt. Zerniak observed a vehicle in front of him traveling at approximately 10 mph in a 55 mph zone. The driver stopped the vehicle in the roadway then began to drive erratically. Sgt. Zerniak initiated a traffic stop. The driver stopped briefly then sped off before Zerniak could approach the car.
Sgt. Zerniak notified Communications and other Deputies that the driver was refusing to stop. The driver drove west on Highway 264 at speeds of approximately 70 mph. The driver almost lost control of the vehicle as it turned onto Highway 32 North. The driver then turned onto Braddy Road. After reaching speeds of approximately 85 mph, the driver lost control of the Toyota Corolla and ran into a ditch. The car flipped several times into a cattle pasture and the driver was ejected. The driver was able to run into a wooded area nearby as Sgt. Zerniak was pulling up to the scene.
Deputies and Troopers with the NCSHP responded to the location and searched for the driver. Sgt. Zerniak began an investigation to identify the suspect. After about an hour, Sgt. Zerniak was able to determine the suspect’s identity and the search was called off. The car was seized as a result of the “Run and Done” statute. (more) At approximately 7:30 a.m. on October 11th, Sgt. Zerniak observed the suspect walking along West 5th Street in Washington. Zerniak contacted additional Deputies and Corey Levon Cannon, age 17 of Cattail Court in Greenville, was arrested for Felony Flee to Elude Arrest, Resisting a Public Officer, and No Operators License. Cannon was held in the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $7,500.00 secured bond set by Magistrate Jasper Mills.
