SLED charges Chester County man with failure to stop for blue lights, child endangerment, and simple possession of marijuana
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Matthew Cunningham, 19, with Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, Child Endangerment, and Simple Possession of Marijuana on Friday, December 13, 2024. South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice petitions were filed on a 16-year-old male passenger for Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun by a person under 18-years-old.
On December 13th, 2024, SLED initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on Pine Street in the City of Chester. The attempted traffic stop became a vehicle chase where Chester County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted. Cunningham fled from law enforcement and drove into a school bus near the intersection of Saluda Street and JA Cochran Bypass. The school bus was carrying one child and two adults. The child was taken to the hospital as a precaution and has been released. Cunningham and the 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle were both taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the crash. No law enforcement officials were involved in the crash, and no law enforcement officials were injured.
Details can be found in the attached warrants.
Cunningham was booked into the Chester County Detention Center. The 16-year-old was released to a parent upon the advice of the solicitor’s office and is pending a hearing in family court.
The case will be prosecuted by the 6th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
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For media inquiries, please email SLED’s Public Information Office: pio@sled.sc.gov.
