Stolen Car Smashes Into Simpsonville, South Carolina Home; Two Teens Arrested After K9 and Drone Search

Simpsonville, South Carolina: A stolen car barrelled through neighbourhood yards and smashed into a South Carolina home before two teenagers ran away, triggering a search involving deputies, K9 teams and a drone, authorities said.

Video released by the Greenville County Sheriff's Office shows the car slamming into the house before deputies rush toward the wreck and chase a fleeing suspect. A deputy can be heard asking, "Is everybody alright?" as authorities check the home for anyone who might be hurt.

The sheriff's office said deputies attempted to stop the reported stolen vehicle around 2:30pm on October 15. The driver fled, but deputies said they did not pursue the car before it crashed into the home on Renwood Road in Simpsonville.

Two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, were eventually arrested and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. No injuries were reported.

The video shows one deputy running after a fleeing suspect while another heads toward the damaged home. The passenger was quickly taken into custody, while the search for the driver brought help from above and on the ground.

K9 teams used multiple dogs to track the driver's path, and drone operators provided an aerial view of the neighbourhood, according to the sheriff's office. The video also shows a dog picking up a scent collected from the vehicle before tracking the driver.

In a post accompanying the video, the sheriff's office wrote: "When someone decides to run from law enforcement in Greenville County, they quickly learn that our deputies have more than one way to find them." It added: "You can run, but our deputies have a pretty impressive toolbox. And they know how to use it."

Next-door neighbour Rachel Bush told WYFF she was putting her baby down for a nap when she heard a big crash outside. Minutes earlier, she said, she had been walking outside with her baby and dog, and she was grateful they were back inside before everything happened.

One of the home's residents told WYFF that no one was home when the car crashed through the front door. He and his fiance returned from an errand minutes later to find the damage. He said the car missed another vehicle in the garage by inches, leaving behind an extensive cleanup and repair job.

Another neighbour, Robert Belcher, told WYFF he offered support after seeing what happened, recalling telling his neighbour: "I don't know what to say to you but thank God no one was at home." The resident also offered a message to the teenagers accused in the incident: "Think about what you are doing; you never know if it's going to impact lives."