EASLEY — An attempted traffic stop by Liberty police went awry Thursday night after the driver of a 2003 Chevy led police on an hour long chase through Pickens County that resulted in a deadly crash.
According to the S.C. Highway Patrol, Nicholas Keith Blackstock, 29, of Greenville, ignored the officer’s blue lights and instead attempted to elude police around 10:22 p.m.
At 11:30 p.m., Blackstock crossed the center line while heading North on U.S. 123 at hit a Nissan head-on, killing the car’s only occupant.
Pickens County Coroner Kandy C. Kelley identified the victim as Steven Louis Richardson, 59, of 108 Welborn Circle in Easley. Kelley said Richardson was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene from blunt force trauma.
Blackstock was unharmed and apprehended at the scene.
Liberty Police Chief Adam Gilstrap stated officers initially tried to pull Blackstock over after they had received “information from a neighboring jurisdiction about potential illegal narcotics.”
Blackstock was taken into custody and booked into the Pickens County Detention Center around 3:30 a.m. Friday charged with felony DUI and a second offense for driving under suspension by SCHP.
Chief Deputy Creed Hashe of the PCSO stated Blackstock had not yet been arraigned.
Liberty Police plan to add a host of new charges on Blackstock including of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and failure to stop for blue lights resulting in death.
According to Greenville County court records, Blackstock has a long rap sheet of criminal history as well as traffic violations with infractions dating back as far as 2005.
The case remains under investigation by the SCHP.
