A man suspected of having marijuana in his car, who was fleeing arrest, died after crashing into a Vass house Monday night.

Eulando Jerrard Utley, 28, died in a fiery crash near 210 Union Church Road about 10 p.m., according to the Moore County Sheriff's Office. The incident report said Utley was from West End, but the obituary said he was from Southern Pines.

Two residents living at the home escaped unharmed.

Sheriff's Deputy Sheriff Marty Key was assisting a disabled motorist and had stopped traffic on Union Church Road a little after 9 p.m., according to an incident report obtained from the Sheriff's Office.

"Burgess Towing had been contacted by the motorist before I checked out with him," Key said in his report. "I waited for the wrecker to arrive."

When the wrecker got there, Key stopped traffic so the wrecker could get in position to load.

"The first car I stopped was a silver Crown Vic," Key said. "As the vehicle approached me, the driver had his license out the window in his hand. As I reached for the license and started to tell him to wait for the wrecker, I smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. I told the driver -- Eulando Utley -- to pull over on the shoulder of the road."

Key was holding Utley's license. As the driver started to pull to the side of the road, Key could see a brick-shaped object lying on the passenger seat that appeared to be marijuana wrapped in plastic, the report said.

"All of a sudden, the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed heading toward Vass," Key said. "I ran to my car and proceeded to catch up with him."

By the time the deputy could radio dispatch, they were already entering Vass, passing Mama's Kitchen restaurant. The last Key saw of the suspect's car, it was starting to pass another vehicle on a curve about three-tenths of a mile ahead.

"I passed one of the vehicles, a small blue car, on the side of the road just around the curve," Key said.

The suspect's car was nowhere to be seen, Key said in the report. He radioed another deputy he knew was nearby that night.

"I was in contact with Deputy Shamburger who was in the area," Key said. "I asked him his location trying to figure out where the vehicle went."

According to the report, about that time, 911 alerted was giving out a wreck at 210 Union Church Road stating that a car had hit a house."

Key and Shamburger found the car he'd been pursuing under a house. Both were on fire. Key called for fire and rescue response. He said in the report that he could see Utley still in the car, but couldn't get to him, so he made sure occupants of the house were safe.

"I tried to find a way to get to him, but could not due to the smoke and fire," Key said. "The ladies that were in the house had exited the rear of the house safely."

Fire and rescue personnel arrived. The Vass Police Department and the State Highway Patrol assumed control of the investigation.

Contact John Chappell at 783-5841 or by e-mail at jchappell@thepilot.com.