ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A man was taken into custody late Thursday night after a vehicle pursuit that ended in the parking lot of the DoubleTree Hotel on Hendersonville Road, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began around 10 p.m. when a patrol vehicle, parked with emergency lights activated on the Interstate 26 westbound on-ramp at Long Shoals Road, was hit. The deputy had been assisting with road closures related to ongoing construction work.
The driver, identified as Vincent Nelson, fled the scene, prompting a pursuit that spanned Long Shoals Road, Hendersonville Road, Sweeten Creek Road and eventually returned to Hendersonville Road, where Nelson was apprehended near Biltmore Village.
Nelson, 54, faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony fleeing to elude arrest, reckless driving, misuse of the 911 system, hit-and-run resulting in property damage and resisting a public officer.
One deputy sustained minor injuries while taking Nelson into custody and was treated and released from a local hospital. Nelson was also transported to Mission Hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility.
“Our deputy was assisting construction crews on I-26 by managing road closures to ensure the safety of both the construction workers and the motoring public,” BCSO District 1 Captain Dustan Auldredge said in a statement. “Thanks to our deputy’s quick actions, a vehicle was prevented from accessing the construction area.”
Authorities urged the public to report unsafe or erratic driving to law enforcement.