A high speed chase in Macon County yesterday afternoon ended when the Macon County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Lee Faulk, 34. Faulk was arrested and booked into the Macon County Detention Center for speeding, reckless driving to endanger, no operator’s license, fail to heed lights and sirens, possession of a stolen automobile, and flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle.
The pursuit began when the North Carolina Highway Patrol clocked a van traveling over 80 miles per hour on Cowee Mountain. The State Trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, however, he fled and entered the Baird Cove area of Franklin. The vehicle Faulk was driving was reported stolen from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The suspect fled on foot in the Baird Cove area – residents reported seeing the individual in and around Baird Cove and Brookwood. During the search for the suspect, gunshots should be heard in the area, however, they were unrelated to the incident.
Reports from the community helped law enforcement track the suspect’s general location.
“He was spotted by Warren Cabe from Emergency Management,” said Macon County Sheriff Holland. “The suspect had traveled down through the woods toward Old Murphy Road and Warren Cabe saw an individual matching the description of the suspect in a yard and called it in. We were right there in the area with a heavy law enforcement presence, so we were on top of him very quickly.”
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin Police Department, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol were all involved in the search and apprehension of the suspect.
Initial reports stated there were two individuals involved in the chase, however, according to Holland, it was determined that there was more than likely only one person involved.
“When the vehicle was found after the chase, there were a lot of items in the passenger seat of the vehicle,” said Holland. “That made us believe that in fact, there was only one person in the vehicle. We maintained officers both from the Sheriff’s Office and the Franklin PD in that area throughout the night. We received no more complaints, no more information coming in of any sightings of any kind, so we tend to believe that more than likely, he was the only individual.”
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