A truck driver responded to police calls for help and foiled the getaway plans of a suspected North Carolina bank robber.
The driver, on his way to a pickup, heard the call for help from police. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Carlos DeShawn Burns, was racing down Interstate 85 at speeds reaching 120 mph, according to local television station NewsChannel 36, after allegedly robbing a Charlotte Wachovia Bank branch.
The trucker noticed the suspected robber racing down the highway in a stolen Honda Civic. According to police, Burns was tossing money out the car’s window during the chase. Quickly thinking, the trucker positioned his tractor into the high-speed lane, just in front of the Honda. That decision caused Burns to slow, allowing police to catch the vehicle and pin him against the center barrier.
Channel 36’s web site has video of the chase, including the driver’s role in foiling the plan.
Burns has been charged with common law robbery, felony flee to elude and resisting arrest. More charges are pending.
Channel 36 also reported that Burns’ has a long criminal history, including an attempted murder charge that was thrown out by a California appeals court. “He was definitely a very active gang member,” said Jose Arias, an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles, told the station.
The driver surely will say he was just doing his part. Most people, though, would not have done what he did. For that, I hope he receives the rewards he’s surely due.
