A North Augusta man was killed Saturday night after crashing his motorcycle while fleeing police at speeds exceeding 100 mph, authorities said.
Roosevelt Walker III, 46, was pronounced dead a few hours after the crash at Wellstar MCG Health, according to Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables.
The deadly chase began around 8:30 p.m. when a North Augusta Department of Public Safety officer clocked a black motorcycle traveling 80 mph in a 40 mph zone on Edgefield Road near St. James Street, according to an incident report.
Officer C. Drayton turned around to make a traffic stop, but the driver – later identified as Walker – continued speeding north into North Augusta. The officer again clocked him at 83 mph before calling for backup.
Another officer positioned near Edgewood Drive activated his lights to assist, and for a brief moment it appeared Walker might stop. “The operator of the motorcycle slowed down to an almost complete stop,” the report states. But instead, he made a sudden U-turn and accelerated northbound, reaching speeds “in excess of 100 mph” as he fled.
The chase continued for less than a mile before Walker lost control while swerving to avoid another vehicle near Belvedere-Clearwater Road. He was ejected from his 2013 Harley-Davidson and suffered severe head injuries. Officers began CPR and administered oxygen until EMS arrived.
“The strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emitting from his person,” Officer Drayton noted in the report.
Police later discovered that Walker’s license was suspended and that he had three active warrants for identity theft, speeding, and driving under suspension. The license plate on the motorcycle was expired and did not match the bike, investigators said.
No officers or bystanders were injured in the pursuit, which lasted less than a minute and covered about 0.8 miles.
Walker has a long history of arrests in Aiken and Edgefield counties, including recent arrests for three counts of Contempt of Family Court, which usually involve failure to pay child support. He has a conviction for discharging a firearm into occupied vehicle from 2022 in Edgefield, which landed him 60 days in jail and two years of probation. An attempted murder charged was dismissed in that case.
Walker has also faced previous arrests for domestic violence in 2017 and more recently for disorderly conduct and violation of municipal ordinance. Two decades ago, he had a series of arrests for weapons offenses as well as assault of a high and aggravated nature that got him jail time and community service.
Walker’s sister-in-law, Kiara Barnes Walker, remembered him on Facebook Sunday, calling him a loving husband and amazing father.
“Roosevelt Walker was more than just my brother-in-law; he was my best friend, and I was blessed to talk with him every single day,” Kiara Walker said. “Our family invites you to celebrate his life with us at 1000 Archard Street, Graniteville, SC 29841.”
