Franklin Co chase ends with death in Lake Hartwell

A man who jumped into Lake Hartwell after a high-speed police chase on I-85 has died: the body was recovered from the lake near Fair Play South Carolina, found in about 25 feet of water. The chase began in Franklin County and reached speeds of 125 miles per hour before the man crashed his car and jumped off a bridge.

From WSB TV...

A South Carolina man who was clocked driving his Dodge Charger 125 mph on I-85 in Georgia led police on a chase before crashing the car, jumping off a bridge into a lake and drowning.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said deputies clocked the man speeding on I-85 north near the Georgia-South Carolina border early Tuesday morning.

The driver crashed into a guardrail and another car on a bridge that spans Lake Hartwell. After the crash, the driver ran from the car and jumped off the bridge into the water.

Deputies called to him and tried to rescue him by throwing him a rope but he tried to swim away before going under.

The man’s body was found around 2 a.m. in more than 20 feet of water.

Local officials have identified the man as Akeem O. Lukie, of Greenwood, South Carolina.

Lukie was carrying two different IDs with two different names, but investigators were able to see that the car was registered to Lukie’s wife.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

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