HANAHAN, S.C.–According to Hanahan Police, Christopher Michael Vanhoy, 40, was arrested this month after they said his truck sped away from a Hanahan officer who suspected him of driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Vanhoy, who is the assistant fire chief for the Charleston Fire Department, is charged with failure to stop for blue lights. He lives in Hanahan.
According to The Post and Courier, this is his second arrest on the same charge. He served probation on a 2001 conviction for fleeing from the police, documents stated. He was also acquitted of two drunken driving charges that same year.
During a pursuit, an officer stated that he observed Vanhoy open the driver’s door while the vehicle was in motion, suggesting to the officer that Vanhoy may have contemplated “bailing” from the vehicle in order to flee on foot from police officers.
The police report notes that when Vanhoy turned down the street where he lives in Hanahan, the officer used the public address system on his police car to order the driver to stop after he failed to pull over for the blue lights; however, Vanhoy reportedly failed to comply.
The vehicle finally stopped when Vanhoy pulled into his front yard. That’s when officers then arrested Vanhoy and booked him into the Berkeley County Detention Center.
While the police report mentions that Vanhoy smelled strongly of alcohol, the officer didn’t test him for intoxication because Vanhoy reportedly wouldn’t cooperate and the weather was bad, a police spokesman stated.
Vanhoy has been employed with the city for more than 20 years and was promoted to assistant fire chief last year. A spokesperson for the city confirms that Vanhoy remains employed with the fire department at this time.
