BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia State Police trooper clocked a speeding car just before 4 a.m. Thursday at the northbound mile marker 19 on Interstate 85 in Brunswick County, triggering a high-speed pursuit that reached more than 100 mph.
The pursuit ended at mile marker 55, just inside the Petersburg city limits, after law enforcement deployed spike strips, leaving the suspect's car with three flat tires.
Virginia State Police say the driver hit several cars and turned off his headlights during the chase.
Robert D. Dorsey, 25, of Howard County, Maryland, was taken into custody at the scene.
He is charged with child endangerment, speeding, driving without a license, reckless driving, driving with no lights at night, and failing to use a turn signal.
A mother and her two small children had been inside the car throughout the pursuit.
Wilson Rivera, owner of Midnight Towing, was called to the scene to recover the vehicle. What he found when he arrived left a lasting impression.
""It’s just been an emotional morning," Rivera said. "Just nothing but flashing blue lights."
Rivera quickly turned his attention to the children.
"One was just crying, the other in shock of what's going on," Rivera said. "As a dad, it was very emotional, seeing two kids that couldn't stand up for themselves, seeing what the mom, the state of mind she was in, I just wanted to help them out."
Rivera worked quickly to secure the children before getting them off the road.
"We had to get the car seats out, load up the car seats in the truck, strap them down," Rivera said. "My main thing was to get the kids in the truck."
Rivera then drove the family to two different hotels, looking for one the mother liked and could afford.
"As long as they were safe and I went home knowing that they are safe, under a roof," Rivera said.
Virginia State Police say the incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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