Police Chase Causes 2 Hour Closure on I-85 in Coweta County

Two minors have been arrested in Coweta County after allegedly leading a police chase on I-85 today. Police in Newnan County attempted to pull a white Jaguar over after running the plates and believing it was linked to a recent carjacking. 

That's when the chase started. The chase ended when authorities placed spike strips which caused the vehicle to crash into the guardrail. Both occupants of the vehicle jumped out and attempted to run away on foot. The two minors were allegedly carrying guns and were eventually caught by police. 

The GBI is now investigating. As a result of the chase, all lanes on I-85 in both directions were blocked and closed down for almost two hours causing major delays.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the offense of fleeing the police in today's post.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude an Officer in Georgia

Georgia Law defines the criminal offense of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer 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).

Fleeing or attempting to elude can be classified as a felony or a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature in Georgia.  There are situations that can cause the offense to be charged as a felony. These situations include fleeing in traffic conditions that place the general public at risk of receiving serious injuries or striking or colliding with another vehicle or pedestrian. 

Practice Note

Fleeing or attempting to elude is rarely charged on its own. This crime is often charged along with other serious traffic offenses. These offenses typically include DUI in Georgia or Reckless Driving in Georgia. 

Most of the time, individuals flee police because they are worried about being charged with more serious crimes. If you or a loved one has been arrested in Georgia, contact our offices today.