Example of Fleeing or Attempting to Elude in Recent Georgia News Story

A story broke from last night regarding a vehicle who fled Georgia State Patrol. The chase ultimately resulted in a three vehicle wreck which sent five people to local hospitals. A GSP Trooper noticed a white Hyundai allegedly speeding and weaving on I-75S. He made an attempt to make a traffic stop, but according to reports, the car led a chase into downtown Atlanta and then onto I-20W. 

The driver is facing a slew of charges including speeding in Georgia, failure to maintain lane in Georgia, and many others. 

Today, I will focus on the most obvious which is the driver's attempt in fleeing the GSP.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude in Georgia

Georgia Law defines fleeing or attempting to elude the police in Georgia as:

It shall be unlawful for any driver of a vehicle willfully to fail or refuse to bring his or her vehicle to a stop or otherwise to flee or attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle or police officer when given a visual or an audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop. The signal given by the police officer may be by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren. The officer giving such signal shall be in uniform prominently displaying his or her badge of office, and his or her vehicle shall be appropriately marked showing it to be an official police vehicle. O.C.G.A. §40-6-395(a).

Most of the time, a first conviction for fleeing or attempting to elude the police in Georgia will be treated as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. The fine will be between $500 and $5,000, and the jail term could be between 10 days and twelve months. 

However, there are certain situations where the accused person will be charged with a felony for fleeing or attempting to elude in Georgia. This means that even the first offense could be considered a felony.

These situations include:

• Operating a vehicle 20 MPH above the posted speed limit
• Striking or colliding with another vehicle or a pedestrian;
• Fleeing in traffic conditions, which place the general public at risk of receiving serious injuries; or
• Leaving the state of Georgia.

Under any of the above conditions, the crime will be categorized as a felony with a punishment of a fine up to $5,000, a prison term between one and five years, or both.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a Georgia DUI or an arrest for fleeing or eluding in Georgia, contact us today. A Georgia DUI Attorney will help you with your case and defend both your rights and freedom.