PATRICK COUNTY, VA – A 28-year-old Galax man died in a crash on Thursday afternoon after a pursuit with police in Patrick County.
The incident started on Route 58 east of Stuart when the Patrick County Sheriff's Office tried to stop a 1987 Jeep Comanche traveling at an excessive speed, according to Sheriff Dan Smith.
The pickup truck did not stop and crossed over onto the oncoming lane before entering the town limits.
Deputies blocked the intersection at Walmart and blocked the eastbound lane of Route 58 at the hospital, forcing the suspect back onto the westbound lane.
The Sheriff said the Jeep side-swiped a vehicle at the intersection of Patrick Avenue and South Main Street.
At around 4 p.m., the Jeep, running on two blown tires at this point, continued on South Main Street, tried to make an abrupt turn onto Ashby Drive, ran off the right side of the road and down a steep embankment, according to authorities.
Virginia State Police reports that the suspect, Joseph Lee Eugene Duncan, Jr., was not wearing his seatbelt and died at the scene.
Sheriff Smith said the pickup truck had been reported stolen from Mt. Airy, North Carolina and that Duncan was a fugitive wanted from both Carroll County and the City of Galax.
The state police crash reconstruction team assisted with the crash.