On the run since Feb., Hall fugitive arrested

HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE NARRATIVE:

“A Gainesville man wanted for fleeing the scene of a fiery car crash in northwestern Hall County in February 2023 was arrested late Tuesday night at a location on Mountain View Road.

Around 10:45 p.m., a Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputy was patrolling the area of Mabry Road, Old Flowery Branch Road and Mountain View Road when he noticed the driver of a vehicle resembled Brandan Lee Stevens, 36, the suspect wanted for leaving the scene of a crash on Southers Road that left a woman with serious injuries. Arrest warrants for Stevens had been issued in April, and deputies were aware he was wanted in connection to the wreck.

When the vehicle pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store on Mountain View Road, the deputy stopped as well and asked to speak with Stevens. Initially, Stevens identified himself as one of his brothers, giving the deputy a false name and date of birth. The deputy determined Stevens had lied about his identity and placed him under arrest on a charge of giving false information to an officer.

Stevens is also charged with the following crimes related to the crash on February 21, 2023:

·         Serious injury by vehicle

·         Failure to stop at the scene of an accident/hit and run

·         Reckless Driving

·         Failure to maintain lane

·         Driving too fast for conditions

·         Open container violation”

EARLIER STORY/NARRATIVE:

“The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Traffic Unit is investigating a car wreck in North Hall County
late Tuesday night, Feb. 21, that resulted in serious injuries to the passenger.
HCSO patrol and Traffic Unit deputies responded to the single-car crash at approximately 11:50
p.m. near the intersection of Southers and Greencrest Roads. Hall County Fire Rescue responded
and pulled the female passenger, 26, of Gainesville, out of the 2001 Chevrolet Corvette, which had
caught fire after colliding with a tree. The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment of
injuries suffered in the crash, while a HCSO K9 team attempted to locate the car’s male driver, who
had fled the scene after the wreck. The driver was not located.
According to the initial investigation, the car was northbound on Southers when the driver lost
control in the sharp curve before Greencrest. The car traveled off the roadway, hit a tree and
rotated to final rest in the adjacent ditch along the southbound shoulder of the road. Preliminary
details indicate speed was a factor in the crash.”