The victim and four deputies involved in the

started when Felkel knocked down cones along a hurricane evacuation route

Lucas Felkel, 35, was shot dead by deputies in South Carolina after getting into a dispute with them over the Hurricane Matthew evacuation route

A South Carolina man who tried to drive through a checkpoint along a Hurricane Matthew evacuation route and then opened fire at deputies has been shot dead by police.

Lucas Felkel, 35, of Moncks Corner, succumbed to his injuries at around 7pm Wednesday, according to a statement from Chief Deputy Coroner George Oliver.

Less than two hours earlier, at 5.30pm, Felkel led officers and deputies on a chase that began at a checkpoint set up because of the approaching monster storm threatening the East Coast, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis told reporters.

The sheriff said Felkel knocked down some traffic cones at US Highway 52 and Gaillard Road, and shouted at officers before speeding away.

At some point, Lewis said, the officers stopped the motorist, but the chase resumed after he 'drove in a reckless manner' toward them.

He then stopped a second time at an employees' parking lot at a DuPont plant 15 minutes later.

Felkel emerged from his vehicle and opened fire at deputies, who shot back, Lewis said, according to ABC 4 News. He was taken to hospital, but died a short time later.

Gunfight: Officials say Felkel got out of his car in a DuPont plant parking lot and began shooting at deputies, who returned fire

None of the deputies involved in the shooting were injured; all four deputies were white, as was Lucas Felkel

No deputies were wounded, and they had all been placed on routine administrative leave, pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Authorities identified Felkel and the four deputies as white.

Court records obtained by The Charleston Post and Courier indicate that Felkel had a lengthy criminal record dating back to at least 2005, which included traffic violations and run-ins with law enforcement officers.

This past January, he reportedly called the Department of Motor Vehicles and threatened to kill police officers whom he accused of filing false traffic charges against him.

Churning storm: This GOES East satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Hurricane Matthew moving northwest of Cuba towards the Atlantic coast of southern Florida Wednesday

In 2011, he was allegedly caught transporting stolen air conditioners.

In 2009, a woman filed a complaint against Felkel accusing him of stalking her 13-year-old daughter at a bus stop.

Felkel's death came amid heightened tensions, particularly near the coast, as Hurricane Matthew continues on its path towards the Eastern Seaboard.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ordered the evacuation of several coastal counties and said Thursday that only about 175,000 people had left so far, which she said was 'not good enough.'