A five to six mile chase today that began on Piney Grove Church Road and ended in the emergency room parking area of Halifax Regional Medical Center resulted in the arrest of the driver.

Two Halifax County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were damaged when the chase ended at the hospital and Deputy Jason Keeter sustained an injury while arresting the suspect.

The suspect, Darius Sykes of the Heathsville area, could be seen in a sheriff’s office car wearing a spit guard over his mouth after officers said he spat at them while being taken into custody.

The chase began shortly before 2:30 p.m. today after the sheriff’s office was dispatched to a domestic call shortly after 2 p.m., according to Chief Deputy Wes Tripp.

Deputy Harold Phillips said he was on his way to the call on Heathsville Road when dispatchers said Sykes left the scene in a gray Honda.

Phillips went to Piney Grove Church Road where he met Sykes and turned around on him. The state Highway Patrol initiated the chase with Sykes after he ran a stop sign at Piney Grove Church Road.

Phillips said Sykes failed to heed blue lights and sirens activated by the Highway Patrol and the chase, which reached speeds of 80 miles per hour, took officers to Highway 903 and Three Bridges Road.

The chase then went down Carolina Rest Home Road to Highway 48 and then Smith Church Road and into the hospital parking lot.

Harris' vehicle following the chase.

It was on Smith Church Road that Lieutenant Tim Harris of the sheriff’s office took evasive action to keep Sykes from traveling onto Highway 158 and possibly sparing motorists of injury, Tripp said.

Phillips said Harris put his patrol car in front of Sykes’ vehicle to divert him from Highway 158 and force him into the hospital. Sykes rammed Harris’s vehicle but turned into the hospital and ended up also striking Phillips’ car.

Harris and Phillips were not injured but Tripp said he requested Harris take his dog, Josh, to the vet to be checked up.

Tripp said Keeter was being treated at the hospital for a knee and ankle injury sustained while taking Sykes into the custody.

Tripp said the Highway Patrol is investigating the motor vehicle violations while the sheriff’s office is investigating the criminal portion.

Trooper R.P. Dennis said he planned to charge Sykes with careless and reckless driving, felony elude arrest, a stop sign violation, driving left of center and driving while license revoked.

While the sheriff’s office continues to investigate, Harris said the sheriff’s office does plan to charge Sykes with assault by strangulation in the initial domestic case. Harris said Sykes allegedly tried to bite the victim’s finger off as well.