One person was killed in Columbia police car wreck after a shooting. Here’s what we know

A crash between a Columbia police car and a Toyota sedan in north Columbia killed a motorist.

Here’s what we know:

The driver of the 2023 Toyota sedan was killed and was identified by the Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford as Ashley Brown, 34.

Brown was about 27-28 weeks pregnant and the fetus died too, said Rutherford. The cause of death was blunt force injuries, she said. The death is still under investigation.

The police officer involved in that crash, Darian Davis, suffered “serious” leg injuries and underwent surgery Tuesday, said Columbia police chief Skip Holbrook. He was in recovery as of Tuesday afternoon.

Davis was responding to a request to assist in a then-ongoing police pursuit of a suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of a man at J.T.’s Kia at 180 Greystone Blvd., Holbrook said. Davis had been in pursuit “less than a minute” when the crash happened, the chief said.

The fatal crash took place shortly after 3 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 21/North Main Street and Prescott Road,

The crash also involved another vehicle, police said.

Details of the three-vehicle crash — such as how it happened and the speed of each vehicle — are not known.

The S.C. Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team is investigating, Holbrook said. The unit specializes in reconstructing complex collisions. Under state law, the Highway Patrol investigates law enforcement traffic crashes with other motorists. State law requires the MAIT team to report on whether the officer was operating their vehicle properly and within appropriate guidelines and laws.

At a later time, the Highway Patrol will release information about the crash. The Columbia police department will conduct a separate administrative review to determine whether any of the department’s guidelines were violated. Results of the review will be public.

The officer whose car struck the Toyota was responding to a fatal shooting at about 3:04 pm at J.T.’s Kia dealership at 180 Greystone Blvd.

Officials have identified the shooting victim as Graham Pope, 39. The assailant shot Pope “multiple times” as Pope was sitting in a car, Holbrook said. Pope was taken to a hospital where he later died.

The motive of the shooting is not known “at this time,” Holbrook said.

Officers arrived at the car dealership around 3:08 pm, where a witness gave them detailed information about the type of vehicle — a grey Ford Mustang — the alleged shooter was driving.

At 3:10 pm, a responding Columbia police officer spotted the vehicle on River Drive and initiated his lights and siren. The suspect did not stop. Information about the direction of fleeing vehicle was broadcast to area officers.

About this time, Officer Davis was clearing an incident in the 6100 block of North Main Street. He left his location and began driving toward River Drive and “less than a minute later,” he collided with the Toyota, Holbrook said. The crash location is approximately three-tenths of a mile from where he started, Holbrook said.

A secondary collision then happened involving a 2010 Honda van, Holbrook said. The van’s driver was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Other Columbia police officers chased the alleged shooter. At 3:18 pm, his car crashed into a backyard of a home in the 2200 block of Shady Lane, according to police. That’s about nine miles from the car dealership.

The suspect, Westley Gross, 28, was captured after he jumped from his vehicle and ran into a nearby woods, Holbrook said. Gross has been charged with murder, failure to stop for a blue light and siren, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, police said.

Gross had two firearms with him, Holbrook said. His address was not given.

At the time of his arrest, Gross was out on a $10,000 surety bond for breach of peace with a high and aggravated nature. That case is being investigated by the Richland County sheriff’s department.

The total time of pursuit from the shooting at J.T.’s Kia to Gross’s crash site was eight minutes and 13 seconds.

Holbrook, Rutherford and Columbia city manager Teresa Wilson spoke at a press conference at city police headquarters late Tuesday afternoon.