According to reports out of Middle Georgia, there was a multi-county car chase that involved a stolen vehicle.
Two adults were arrested after a Georgia State Trooper resulted to using a PIT maneuver. There were three children inside the vehicle. The three children were reported missing in South Carolina. The vehicle was also reported as stolen from a dealership.
Needless to say the two adults are facing some very serious criminal charges.
As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will focus only on the traffic violation in this case which is felony fleeing or attempting to elude police.
Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police in Georgia
Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. § 40-6-395 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.
A first time offense of fleeing or attempting to elude is classified as a high and aggravated misdemeanor in the state of Georgia. This means that if a person is convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude, he or she is facing up to 12 months of jail time as well as fines up to $5,000.
However, there are circumstances that can exacerbate the penalties associated with a charge of fleeing or attempting to elude. These circumstances include when a driver flees and:
(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) Commits a violation of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391; or
(v) Leaves the state.
If a driver flees under any one of the above-mentioned circumstances, then a person is facing a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude.
Practice Note
There are many different serious traffic violations such as fleeing or attempting to elude or DUI in Georgia. If you or a loved one has been accused of committing such a violation, contact our offices today.
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