Traffic Stop Leads to Major Arrest in North Myrtle Beach.A routine traffic stop led to a major breakthrough in a violent crime case, thanks to the attentiveness of Officer Kayla Wallace of the North Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Just 30 minutes before her shift ended, Officer Wallace noticed a white Jeep run a red light and pulled it over. Inside were a male passenger and a visibly distressed female driver. When the driver opened her door, Wallace asked her to close it, but the passenger explained the windows didn’t work.
The driver then told Wallace she felt like she might vomit.
What happened next was critical—when the passenger wasn’t looking, the driver silently mouthed, “Help me.”
Wallace acted quickly, placing the man in the back of her patrol car.
The woman then revealed she had been forced to drive at gunpoint after the passenger, Collins Bates, allegedly shot someone. A BOLO alert soon confirmed Bates matched the description of a suspect in a recent shooting.
Thanks to Officer Wallace’s instincts, Bates, 29, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, unlawful firearm possession, and more. A pistol was later found under the seat he occupied. This traffic stop proved how everyday vigilance can prevent further violence and save lives.
