Man who led police on chase that injured pregnant woman faces new federal charge

The man accused of leading police on a chase that resulted in three crashed cars and the injuries of a pregnant woman and her 9-year-old child is facing new federal charges this week.

Cleo Williams, Jr., 24, of North Charleston, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Charleston on Thursday morning to be arraigned for an additional count in connection to his September arrest.

Williams, who also faces state charges, was indicted in federal court for a weapons charge. In December, Williams was hit with two more weapons charges. On Feb. 12, Williams was indicted on a fourth count, a drug charge, according to federal records.

Starting in January 2009, Williams possessed cocaine with intent to distribute it and distributed cocaine, according to the superseding indictment.

On Sept. 6, police tried to stop Williams on Rivers Avenue near Greenridge Road as part of a drug probe across several jurisdictions, officials with North Charleston Police Department have said.

Williams sped up and police chased Williams, who then crashed into three cars on Rivers Avenue near Otranto, according to police. A 27-year-old pregnant woman and her 9-year-old child were hospitalized for minor injuries. Someone in another vehicle that was hit was also hospitalized, police said.

Reach Natalie Caula at 937-5594 or Twitter.com/ncaula.