Atlanta Driver Escapes Arrest After Police Chase

Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters

Atlanta, Ga. - According to news stories, the subject of a police chase involving a Georgia State Trooper managed to escape arrest.

The chase began on I-20 Westbound late this afternoon. The Georgia State Trooper spotted a green Jaguar speeding at 90 miles per hour in the HOV lane near Candler Road. The driver was allegedly the only occupant in the vehicle. The trooper caught up and attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver continued west. He allegedly hit another vehicle before exiting at Capitol Avenue. The trooper missed the PIT attempt and ended up striking a telephone pole damaging the patrol vehicle.

The suspect made his way through the City of Atlanta on the Downtown Connector going northbound.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I handle cases involving serious traffic violations regularly. Most people are unaware that traffic violations can become felonies given certain circumstances. Typically, the types of offenses that accompany DUI in Atlanta are very serious in nature as in the story above.

The driver in the story above is not only facing a hit and run in Atlanta from striking the vehicle at Capitol Avenue but he is also facing a felony fleeing or attempting to elude charge. I've outlined the law below.

Fleeing in Atlanta

Fleeing or attempting to elude in Atlanta 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.

Fleeing or attempting to elude is classified as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. The penalties if convicted can include up to $5000 in fines and between ten days and twelve months in jail.

There are also situations in which the offense of fleeing or attempting to elude is escalated to a felony offense. These situations include when a driver flees and:

• Operates his or her vehicle in excess of 20 miles an hour above the posted speed limit;
• Strikes or collides with another vehicle or a pedestrian;
• Flees in traffic conditions which place the general public at risk of receiving serious injuries;
• Commits a violation of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391; or
• Leaves the State.

If convicted of felony fleeing or attempting to elude, the penalty can include up to five years in prison.

Practice Note

If you have been arrested for a serious traffic-related crime, call our offices today. An Atlanta DUI Attorney can help you with your case now.