In a strange overnight incident, police in North Charleston, South Carolina, were led on a low-speed chase by a man driving an excavator. The unusual pursuit happened just after 3 a.m. and lasted more than an hour before ending with the driver’s arrest.
The Chase Begins
Police officers were responding to another call when they saw a Komatsu excavator driving slowly on U.S. Highway 78 near a Hispanic grocery store. Moments later, a burglary alarm went off at the market.
When police arrived, they found the front of the store heavily damaged, indicating the excavator had crashed into it. Officers tried to stop the driver, later identified as 53-year-old Johnny Mesa Jr., but he refused to stop.
A 3 MPH Chase
The excavator continued moving at just 3 miles per hour, leading police on a slow chase for about 72 minutes. Officers used a loudspeaker to order Mesa to stop, but he kept going.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office helped block traffic at intersections as the excavator continued its path through North Charleston and into Ladson.
Eventually, the heavy machine became stuck at a local fairgrounds.
Arrest and Charges
Mesa tried to run away after the excavator got stuck, but was caught with help from a police dog from Charleston County. He was arrested and taken to the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center.
He now faces several charges, including:
Failure to stop for blue lights
Malicious injury to real property
Malicious injury to real property enhancement
A 3 a.m. chase involving a slow-moving excavator left a grocery store damaged and a suspect in jail. While the speed was low, the damage was serious, and the charges reflect the consequences of the overnight chaos. Thanks to teamwork between local and county police, the suspect was safely captured, bringing the strange chase to a close.
