Stolen Car Crashes Into South Carolina Home as Teens Flee

A stolen vehicle tore through several neighborhood yards and crashed into a home in Simpsonville, South Carolina, before two teenagers fled on foot, authorities said. The incident prompted a search involving sheriff’s deputies, K9 teams and a drone.

Video released by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office shows the car plowing into the house as deputies run toward the wreckage and pursue one of the suspects.

“Is everybody alright?” one deputy asks in the footage while officers check the home for possible injuries.

Deputies attempted to stop the reported stolen vehicle at about 2:30 p.m. Oct. 15, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver refused to stop and fled, but deputies said they did not chase the vehicle before it crashed into the home on Renwood Road.

Authorities arrested two teenagers, ages 15 and 16. Both were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. No injuries were reported.

The footage shows one deputy sprinting after a suspect while another heads to the damaged house. Deputies quickly detained the passenger, while additional resources were brought in to locate the driver.

K9 teams deployed multiple dogs to follow the driver’s trail, while drone operators surveyed the neighborhood from above, the sheriff’s office said. In the video, a dog takes a scent sample from the vehicle before beginning the search.

“When someone decides to run from law enforcement in Greenville County, they quickly learn that our deputies have more than one way to find them,” the sheriff’s office said in a post accompanying the video.

“You can run, but our deputies have a pretty impressive toolbox. And they know how to use it,” the agency added.

The crash jolted neighbors during what had otherwise been an ordinary afternoon.

“I was just putting my baby down for a nap, and I heard a big crash outside,” next-door neighbor Rachel Bush told WYFF.

Bush said she had been outside walking with her baby and dog only minutes before the crash.

“We were grateful we were back inside before everything happened,” she told the outlet.

A resident of the damaged home told WYFF that no one was inside when the vehicle broke through the front door. He and his fiancé returned from an errand minutes later and discovered the damage.

The resident said the car missed another vehicle parked in the garage by just inches, leaving the family with a major cleanup and extensive repairs.

Neighbor Robert Belcher told WYFF that he offered support after witnessing the aftermath.

“I don’t know what to say to you but thank God no one was at home,” Belcher recalled telling his neighbor.

The resident also offered a pointed message to the teenagers accused in the incident.

“Think about what you are doing; you never know if it’s going to impact lives,” he told WYFF.