(January 27, 2007)--A fugitive who escaped from a prisoner transport van in South Carolina this week and traveled to Tennessee was recaptured Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Christopher Daniel Gay escaped from a transport van last Sunday in Hardeeville, S.C. while being transported from Georgetown to face charges in Alabama, authorities said.

Authorities tracked Gay to Tennessee, where they believed he would head in an attempt to see his ailing mother in Pleasant View, near Nashville.

While in the Nashville area, police said Gay stole a Wal-Mart tractor-trailer, led authorities on a chase before fleeing into the woods.

Gay is also suspected of stealing a tour bus registered to country music singer Crystal Gayle and driving it to Florida.

Witnesses in Lakeland, Fla. told police that a man claiming to be associated with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart showed up Thursday at the USA International Speedway driving the stolen bus.

Racetrack officials became suspicious of Gay and asked police to run a check of the bus' license plate number, which is registered to Gayle.

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