Nathaniel Lee Miller, 32, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve five to seven years in prison after pleading guilty as charged to fleeing to elude with a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and admitting his habitual felon status.
The Honorable Gregory R. Hayes, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed the prison term for Miller following his guilty plea in Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
The length of Miller’s prison term was enhanced by his status as a habitual felon stemming from prior convictions for possession of a stolen motor vehicle in Gaston County (October 2007), larceny of a motor vehicle in Gaston County (July 2012) and possession of methamphetamine in Cleveland County (August 2019).
He will serve his period of incarceration in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
Officers with Long View Police Department observed Miller and a co-defendant in a parking lot at a skills games facility and determined the vehicle they were around was stolen when they ran the license plate number. The two men got in the car and when officers activated their siren and blue lights, the defendants took off with Miller driving.
A chase ensued that reached speeds of 55 to 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. The vehicle ran a red light, passed another vehicle in a no passing zone, crossed the center line and crashed into another vehicle in a blind curve.
Miller and the co-defendant were forcibly removed from the vehicle and treated at a local hospital. The driver of the other vehicle was hurt in the crash but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The case was investigated by Long View Police Department and prosecuted for the State by Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles.
CONTACT: Nathan Key
Phone: 828-695-6193
Email: Nathan.D.Key@nccourts.org