Florida Woman Arrested After Two-County Chase

JOHNSTON COUNTY – A Florida woman is facing multiple charges after leading Johnston County deputies on a two-county vehicle pursuit that ended in Newton Grove.

The suspect, identified as Melanie Lee Butterworth, 57, of Brooksville, Florida, was arrested Saturday, August 16, at the traffic circle in Newton Grove following a pursuit that began in Johnston County and continued into Sampson County.

The incident began around 2:48 p.m. when the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious vehicle on Shaw’s Pond Road, off U.S. 701 South. A second call followed, indicating the same vehicle — a black Ford Fusion — was stopped in the road with the driver possibly unconscious behind the wheel.

A responding deputy located the car parked in the roadway on U.S. 701 South. As the deputy approached, the vehicle suddenly sped away, prompting a pursuit. According to authorities, Butterworth stopped two more times during the chase, only to drive off again as the deputy approached her vehicle.

The pursuit crossed into Sampson County and entered the Newton Grove city limits. There, a large pickup truck blocked the Fusion’s path in the traffic circle, allowing deputies to take Butterworth into custody without further incident.

Butterworth was charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest, felony assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, and misdemeanor assault on a government official.

She is being held at the Johnston County Detention Center under a $525,000 secured bond. Her vehicle has been seized.