Driver Accused In High-Speed Chase Nabbed At Home

JOHNSTON COUNTY — A 20-year-old man is facing charges after allegedly leading deputies on not one, but two high-speed chases just minutes apart early Wednesday morning.

Steven Daniel Haze Starling, of Great Oak Drive in Garner, was arrested at his home after authorities say he fled from law enforcement twice at dangerously high speeds. His vehicle, a white 2024 Chevrolet, has been seized under North Carolina’s Run and You’re Done law.

The incident began around 12:41 a.m. when a Johnston County patrol deputy operating radar spotted a white Chevrolet going 72 mph in a 45 mph zone. The deputy attempted a traffic stop on Veterans Parkway, but the driver reportedly refused to pull over. Deputies soon lost sight of the vehicle and terminated the pursuit.

Roughly 20 minutes later, deputies still in the area saw the same car again and attempted another traffic stop. Starling reportedly refused to pull over and turned onto I-40 eastbound reaching speeds of 130 mph in a 70 zone. Once again, deputies backed off the chase due to the extreme speed and risk to other motorists.

But the trail wasn’t cold for long.

The car was found abandoned a short time later parked at a vacant house on Great Oak Lane. Deputies reportedly followed fresh shoeprints in the dew, leading from the vehicle to a nearby home — Starling’s own residence just a few doors away.

He was taken into custody without further incident.

Starling now faces multiple charges, including felony fleeing to elude arrest, reckless driving, failure to stop for a red light, and two counts of speeding — one at 72 mph in a 45 mph zone, the other at 130 mph in a 70 mph zone.

He is being held on a $20,000 secured bond. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during either chase.