A South Carolina man accused of kidnapping his son and leading troopers on a chase that ended in a fiery crash has been arrested, authorities say.
The 31-year-old man was arrested Wednesday, May 8, across the Georgia state line after he was accused of attacking his child’s mother in Belton, South Carolina, according to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
The man left with their 3-year-old son and held him hostage, deputies said. At one point, he “threatened to kill the child,” who was riding in the front seat of his Ford pickup truck, according to Georgia State Patrol.
McClatchy News is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the victims.
Authorities followed the man onto Interstate 85, and a chase ensued as he crossed into Georgia, troopers said. As they closed in, authorities said they noticed the truck’s cabin was filled with smoke.
The man lit a fire, then leapt from the driver’s side window of his moving truck, leaving his son behind, Georgia troopers said. The truck was going approximately 55 mph.
The vehicle hit an embankment and was quickly engulfed in flames, according to authorities. Deputies found the boy on the driver’s side floorboard with “severe burns” after crews extinguished the flames.
He was airlifted to a burn center in critical condition, troopers said. The man was also hospitalized after the crash.
The 31-year-old was recently arrested on a charge of domestic violence, and his child’s mother was granted a protective order against him, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our hearts are with the child’s mother as she faces this unimaginable situation,” the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. “We ask the community for their continued prayers for the 3-year-old boy as he fights inside the trauma center.”
Troopers said the man faces multiple charges that will be made public at a later date.
Anderson County is about a 120-mile drive northwest from Columbia.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
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