Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Thursday Evening Incident at the Oconee Nuclear Station

Stock Photo of a Silver 2002 Toyota Camry (not a photo of the actual vehicle mentioned in the News Release)

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is in the early stages of an investigation into an incident that occurred earlier this evening at the Oconee Nuclear Station.

The E-911/Communications Center received a call from the Nuclear Station around 8:05pm tonight and dispatched Deputies to the scene. According to information obtained by Deputies from the Uniform Patrol Bureau, a white male driving a silver 2002 Toyota Camry drove through the exit side of the gate on the Highway 183 side of the facility.

After the vehicle struck the pop-up barricades that security at the plant activated, the driver backed the vehicle up and proceeded down a dirt road, where Duke Energy security blocked the vehicle in, according to Deputies. The driver then drove through a fence after attempting to hit the security officers.

According to Deputies, the driver then drove out of the exit of the plant, where he attempted to hit a security truck with a guard in it. After driving back onto Highway 183, the driver then drove into Pickens County and pulled onto some property on Jones Mill Road, where shots were fired.

At this time, the source of the shots fired in the Jones Mill Road area is unknown.

The silver 2002 Toyota Camry has an Arkansas tag of 380VDR, according to information obtained during the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office has issued this information to surrounding agencies.

About one hour before tonight’s incident, the same vehicle and driver also showed up on the property of the Oconee Nuclear Station. After being asked to leave, the driver drove off.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of the driver of a 2002 Toyota Camry with an Arkansas tag of 380VDR, you are asked to call 911 immediately.