Police chase in downtown Conway ends with car crashing into building. What we know
A police chase resulted in a car crashing into the historic Kingston Presbyterian Church in downtown Conway on Wednesday.
Horry County Police were patrolling an area outside of Conway around 7:30 p.m. when officers saw a car, which was being driven suspiciously, commit a traffic violation, according to a release from Horry County Police spokeswoman Mikayla Moskov.
Police turned on their lights to pull the person over. The man drove into a gas station parking lot at the intersection of Highway 378 and Millpond Road but took off at a high speed as the officer exited his car. Police then began a pursuit along Highway 378 and then onto 3rd Avenue in the city of Conway.
The pursuit continued until the person hit the brick perimeter wall of Kingston Presbyterian Church. As police walked up to the car, the man could be seen reaching in the backseat where a gun was located, the release said. The gun was a Glock with a “switch,” a device that can turn a pistol into a fully-automatic weapon, according to the police report.
Horry County Police brought him into custody and found that he had previous drug, weapons and traffic violations. The gun in the backseat was stolen.
The driver was then taken to a hospital and charges are expected to be brought against him, the release said. His name has not yet been released.
The church secretary said Thursday that the building’s retaining wall and part of the door were heavily damaged from the crash.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and Horry County Police are internally investigating into the police pursuit.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 2:20 PM.
