Atlanta Police Chase Results in Two Totaled Vehicles

A police chase in Atlanta resulted in the arrest of Christopher Cage, a 28 year old man, after he was responsible for leading a police chase at 2 a.m. He's been charged with several different traffic violations including driving with a suspended license and failure to obey a traffic control device.

According to reports, an Atlanta Police Officer pulled Cage over after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn on Piedmont Road. Cage initially pulled over but when the officer asked him to step out of his vehicle, he allegedly sped off. This resulted in both his vehicle and the officer's vehicle leaving the roadway and driving into the embankment at Armour Drive.

As a Georgia DUI Attorney, I will outline two of the offenses faced by Cage in today's post - fleeing an officer and reckless driving, which are two very serious traffic violations.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer in Georgia

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §40-6-395 as:

It is illegal for any driver to willfully fail or refuse to bring his or her vehicle to a stop or to flee from a pursuing police vehicle or officer when they are blue lighted or some other signal is given indicating that the officer is attempting to pull over the vehicle. 

A first time fleeing conviction is considered a high and aggravated misdemeanor which means there are significant punishments associated with the offense including a minimum of ten days in jail. 

Moreover, if the accused driver, while fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle or police officer in an attempt to escape arrest for any offense:

(i) Operates his or her vehicle in excess of 20 miles an hour above the posted speed limit;

(ii) Strikes or collides with another vehicle or a pedestrian;

(iii) Flees in traffic conditions which place the general public at risk of receiving serious injuries;

(iv) Is DUI over .08 grams

(v) Leaves the state,

Then they may be charged with a felony facing up to five years in state prison.

Reckless Driving in Georgia

The Georgia Code defines reckless driving in Georgia in O.C.G.A. §40-6-390 as:

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property commits the offense of reckless driving.

(b) Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, provided that no provision of this Code section shall be construed so as to deprive the court imposing the sentence of the power given by law to stay or suspend the execution of such sentence or to place the defendant on probation.

Reckless driving is classified as a misdemeanor in Georgia - which while not as serious as a fleeing conviction - still comes with some serious consequences including up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $1000.

Practice Note

Cage is facing some serious consequences. As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I should also mention that if drugs or alcohol are found to be contributing factors in this case, then Cage will also be facing some very serious Georgia DUI Penalties.

If you or a loved one has been accused of committing a serious traffic violation such as DUI in Georgia, contact our offices today. We can help you every step of the way.