Man Driving A Stolen Car Hits Officer, Crashes Twice Before Running From Cops

CHARLOTTE, NC -- A Charlotte police officer making a traffic stop for a stolen vehicle was struck with it Wednesday afternoon, leaving him with minor injuries and sparking a chain of events that lead to two other crashes and a foot chase before the suspect was taken into custody.

CMPD officers initially stopped Theodore Clark, 30, shortly after 1 p.m. when a license plate reader indicated the 2005 Kia Optima he was driving had been stolen earlier in the morning on July 5.

During that traffic stop near Central Avenue and Sharon Amity Road, however, Clark sped off, striking an officer. (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Charlotte Patch. iPhone users can download the Patch app in the App Store. Plus, like Charlotte Patch on Facebook.)

After fleeing the stop and while being pursued by another CMPD officer, Clark then crashed the Kia into an occupied car near Central Avenue and Morningside Drive, kept driving, then turned onto Logie Avenue, where he crashed into a tree. It was after this final crash that Clark got out of the car and sprinted from police, CMPD said.

Clark , as well as an unnamed female passenger in the stolen car, were quickly taken into custody and transported to area hospitals for medical treatment, CMPD said.

Clark has been charged with a dozen offenses, including: assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, hit and run-personal injury, hit and run- property damage, resist/obstruct/delay, failing to heed lights and sirens, fleeing to elude law enforcement, driving without a license, and speeding and reckless driving. Clark also had two additional orders for arrest served on him from other cases, charging him with breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering.

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