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‘Star Wars’ Actor Jake Lloyd Arrested After High-Speed Chase

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 10:49 PST, Jun 22, 2015

Jake Lloyd, a former child actor who rose to stardom after appearing in the Star Wars prequels, has been arrested following a high-speed chase in South Carolina.

Last Wednesday, Colleton County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Lloyd after an incident on Interstate 95, according to USA Today. The 26-year-old originally identified himself as Jake Broadbent, yet authorities were able to confirm his identity through a former talent agent. The man’s birthdate matched Lloyd’s, as listed on IMDB, and he identified his hometown as Fort Collins, Colorado, the same as Lloyd.

Police in Charleston County originally attempted to stop Lloyd’s vehicle, but gave up the chase when he drove into Colleton County, according to the Huffington Post. The chase lasted for more than 25 miles on Interstate 95, before Lloyd turned off the highway and on to a parallel frontage road, breaking through a fence in the process. Unfortunately for Lloyd, the road on which he turned ended abruptly, bringing closure to the pursuit when his car entered a wooded area and struck several small trees.

Lloyd rose to fame after portraying Anakin Skywalker in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the first of the controversial prequel trilogy. Just 10-years-old when he portrayed the youngest incarnation of one of the most iconic screen villains of all time, Lloyd claimed in a 2012 interview that his Star Wars fame made his childhood a hellish experience. In that exchange, Lloyd asserted that other children bullied him due to his role in the iconic sci-fi series, as the Inquisitr previously reported.

Following the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Lloyd did not appear again in the franchise, due to the character arc of Anakin Skywalker. According to IMDB, Lloyd’s last credited acting role took place in 2005.

Sgt. Kyle Strickland of the Colleton County Sheriff’s department said that Lloyd was charged with reckless driving and failing to stop for officers. During the chase, Lloyd’s car reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, he noted. As of Sunday evening, when reports of his arrest first surfaced, Jake Lloyd had not posted bond, and remained behind bars.

[Image via Variety/ Twitter]

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