Suspected bank robber leads 115-mph wrong-way chase on interstate, NC cops say

Bystanders are being credited with capturing a suspected bank robber after he crashed his car and attempted to carjack another vehicle, according to the Black Mountain Police Department in western North Carolina.

The wreck happened Thursday, June 1, during a high-speed chase on Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 that ended when the 53-year-old suspect began driving the wrong way on I-26, the police department said in a news release.

Kelvin Wayne Simmons of Concord is wanted in Henderson, Mecklenburg, Gaston, Rowan and Cabarrus counties on charges “including robbery with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, flee to elude arrest, second degree kidnapping, and attempted common law robbery,” officials said.

Investigators say his dramatic capture came after a License Plate Reader spotted a vehicle linked to “a shots fired call on State Street in Black Mountain,” about 115 miles northwest of Charlotte.

“Simmons led officers on a high-speed chase traveling on I-40 at speeds of over 115 mph,” police said.

“During the pursuit, Simmons entered I-26 traveling the wrong way and struck several vehicles. After crashing, Simmons exited the wrecked vehicle and attempted to carjack a vehicle that had stopped on the highway. Bystanders wrestled Simmons to the ground and held him until Black Mountain Police arrived and took him into custody.”

The chase happened just after Simmons stopped and “released two passengers,” officials said. The two are cooperating with the investigation, officials said.

Investigators believe Simmons was captured just before carrying out his next bank robbery.

“Based on the information received, Simmons had been calling dispatch centers and reporting shots fired prior to initiating the bank robberies,” police said.

“Black Mountain Police Department feels confident Simmons was preparing to rob a bank in Black Mountain, as he was spotted within moments of the erroneous shots fired call and the License Plate Reader alert.”

Among the banks he is suspected or robbing is the First Citizens Bank in Hendersonville, which was hit just after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, according to the Hendersonville Police Department. The robber told tellers he had a gun and demanded money before fleeing on foot, officials said. He carried a lunch box decorated with “Despicable Me” movie characters, witnesses told police.

Simmons is also suspected of robbing the First Horizon Bank in Statesville on May 30, using the same approach, Statesville police say.

This story was originally published June 2, 2023 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Suspected bank robber leads 115-mph wrong-way chase on interstate, NC cops say."