3 children in car during car chase

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - A Bay Minette man led Baldwin County deputies on a high speed chase Thursday afternoon with three young children in the van.  The chase began in Perdido, but ended at a business in Atmore where deputies had said they had to use a stun gun on him to take him into custody. 

“We seen a bunch of police cars behind a red minivan, and we seen it had some kids in it and man. He was just driving erratic man,” said a man who didn’t want to be identified that saw the end of the chase.

Major Anthony Lowery with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said the high speed chase led deputies through north Baldwin and Escambia counties Thursday afternoon. 

It all started when a Baldwin County deputy running radar attempted to stop a speeding red minivan near Perdido.  The suspect fled and a pursuit began north on Highway 31.  At times, speeds reached nearly 100 mph.  At the time, deputies had no idea there were three young girls in the van.

“Well, it was a van so it’s hard to see anybody in there as it is. And certainly, when there’s three young girls in there it concerns you, concerns you that he put their lives at such risk,” Lowery said.

Escambia County deputies joined in the pursuit and the chase ended when the suspect, 34-year-old Chris Edward Lambeth pulled into the parking lot at ESCOFAB, just off Highway 31 in Atmore.  The three girls jumped out there and ran into the business.

“We understand that the girls’ mother worked there at that business, and he was perhaps turning them over to her,” Lowery said.

But deputies said Lambeth wasn’t ready to go to jail yet.

“He jumps out, and the police surrounded him and told him to put his hands up. And they just took him from there,” said the eyewitness. 

When asked if he saw deputies use a stun gun on Lambeth, he responded, “Yes, he hit the ground.”

Lambeth is no stranger to law enforcement in Baldwin County.  When deputies tried to stop him Thursday, he had outstanding felony warrants.

“He has been a suspect in other cases we’ve had, and it turns out that he was actively wanted by the sheriff’s office,” Lowery said.

Lambeth, who has a criminal history in Baldwin County dating back to 1997, is once again behind bars with a $21,000 bond.  He’s now facing three counts of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia along with numerous traffic violations.

.