A 60-year-old New York woman was arrested May 2 following a high-speed police pursuit that stretched across four South Carolina counties after what authorities described as a series of road-rage incidents along Interstate 95.
According to reports from the Yemassee Police Department (YPD) and the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the incident began shortly after 5 p.m. near Mile Marker 112 in Clarendon County. Deputies responded to a 911 call from a 39-year-old woman who reported being harassed by an “older female” motorist driving erratically for nearly 30 minutes.
The complainant told police the driver stopped her vehicle several times on the interstate to provoke confrontations, struck the complainant’s car, and later threw objects—including a baseball bat—at her vehicle at a Marathon gas station, according to media reports.
Other motorists also reported similar encounters with the suspect, who was described as having blonde hair and wearing dark glasses. Witnesses said the woman used her light blue Chevy SUV to strike other vehicles and at one point pinned a black SUV against a guardrail, forcing the driver to exit and blocking traffic.
Clarendon County deputies issued an alert to neighboring jurisdictions as the suspect vehicle traveled south on I-95. The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and YPD were advised to watch for the SUV, which bore New York license plates.
As the suspect crossed into Hampton County around Mile Marker 42, two Yemassee police units joined the pursuit with emergency lights and sirens, according to media outlets. The driver, later identified by CCSO as Rachel Ginsburg, reportedly acknowledged law enforcement’s presence but refused to stop and instead attempted to collide with one of the pursuing police vehicles.
Colleton County deputies attempted to perform a rolling roadblock near Mile Marker 37. The suspect vehicle allegedly rammed a sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser before being disabled by a PIT maneuver conducted by Colleton County deputies.
Ginsburg was taken into custody by Clarendon County deputies and transported to the Clarendon County Detention Center. She faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and failure to stop for blue lights. Authorities also reported recovering a variety of pills from her vehicle that were not prescribed to her.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
YPD spokesperson Cathryn Miller, speaking to media outlets, said, “This operation was a collaborative effort between multiple agencies, and we want to extend our gratitude to the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Department, St. George Police Department, Colleton County Sheriff’s Department, and our own officers for their outstanding teamwork in resolving this situation safely.”
The pursuit spanned Clarendon, Dorchester, Colleton, and Hampton counties.
