03/29/2024
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By: Sheriff James McVicker

Last night, July 14th at approximately midnight, Bladen County Sheriff’s Deputies observed a car traveling around 75 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone on Business 701 in Clarkton.

Deputies attempted to pull the vehicle over and activated their blue lights and sirens.  In doing so, the vehicle fled from the deputies at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle traveled from Highway 701 to Mercer Mill Road, then to Lisbon Road reaching 100 mph multiple times. Around the 700 block of Lisbon Road, the suspect lost control of the vehicle, overcorrected, and struck a tree off the left side of Lisbon Road.  The vehicle flipped several times and the suspect was ejected from the vehicle. Jones cut the headlights on the car off just before his impact with a tree off the left side of Lisbon Road. The suspect was pronounced dead by EMS later that night. The suspect was identified as, Eric Jason Jones, of 652 Dashland Drive, Fayetteville.

Jones had four Orders for Arrest for Failure to Appear on him. Two OFA’s were out of Bladen County and two OFA’s were out of Cumberland County.  Seized at the scene was a stolen Taurus, G2C, 9mm pistol, reported stolen Booker T. Washington School Road in Clarkton. Also found in the vehicle was an amount of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was called in to investigate the wreck by Sheriff Jim McVicker.  

“At no time did our deputies strike the vehicle of Jones”, said Sheriff James McVicker. “This wreck was caused by Jones’s high rate of speed and losing control of the vehicle”. “Driving at such a high rate of speed is very dangerous to the driver, our deputies, as well as other motorists on the highway”. “Fleeing to Elude Arrest in North Carolina is a Felony”. “This was a tragic accident which could have been avoided, our hearts and prayers go out to the family”, said Sheriff James McVicker.

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