North Carolina man killed when police chase ends in crash

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was killed when a police chase ended in a crash just north of the border in Virginia, authorities said.

The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office said Bobby Wayne Gammons, 81, died after a woman’s car crossed the median on U.S. Highway 58 and collided head-on with his vehicle, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Rangers at Staunton River State Park in Halifax County, Virginia, found Christine Barnette, 41, in an unrented cabin on Friday, and as they approached, she ran and got into her car, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies from the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office backed off from the pursuit but Barnette “continued to drive recklessly,” the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office said. The chase passed through Pittsylvania County, Henry County, the city of Martinsville and Patrick County.

Authorities said Barnette rammed two sheriff’s vehicles near South Boston and continued on. She also avoided spike strips before driving through an intersection that had been closed by Patrick County deputies, crossed the median of U.S. 58 and crashed head-on into Gammons’ vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

Gammons died at the scene while Barnette was taken by air to Roanoke Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

The Virginia State Police said Barnette is facing multiple charges.