Driver charged after leading high-speed chase through work zone US 264 in Wake County

A high-speed chase ended Thursday morning on U.S. Highway 264 near Zebulon, blocking two westbound lanes.

The chase started in Edgecombe County, where a driver was speeding 115 mph through a construction zone, according to Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson.

"Work zones are going to be here to stay, but nevertheless they're potentially dangerous areas," said Mark Ezzell, NC Highway Safety program director.

In 2022, 38 people were killed in work zones across North Carolina, including one DOT worker and 3 pedestrians.

• July 2023: NCDOT contractor hit, killed on I-295 near Fort Liberty
• May 2023: Troopers suspect drinking, speed in work zone crash that killed father of four

The chase went through Nash County and ended near Lizard Lick Road (Exit 432) in Zebulon.

The sheriff told WRAL News deputies used a PIT maneuver, which forces a fleeing driver to turn sideways and stop, to bring the vehicle to a halt.

The driver, William Williams, 59, of Camden, was taken into custody by the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest and speeding in a work zone