A motorist was killed Wednesday night when another motorist, fleeing a state trooper, struck his vehicle south of Gainesville. A state patrol report on the incident says the trooper tried more than once to end the chase with a PIT maneuver.
STATE PATROL NARRATIVE:
“On (Wednesday about 6:00 p.m.), troopers observed a vehicle matching the description of a BOLO (Be-On-the-Lookout) alert for a stolen blue Chevrolet Silverado, previously reported taken from Hardy Chevrolet in Gainesville.
The vehicle was spotted on Shallowford Road. Troopers activated their emergency equipment and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver chose not to stop and fled the scene. A pursuit ensued through several city streets.
Troopers attempted a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) at SR 60 (Queen City Parkway), south of SR 369 (Jesse Jewell Parkway). The PIT was unsuccessful, and the vehicle continued south on SR 60. A second PIT attempt was made on SR 60 (Queen City Parkway) north of Aviation Boulevard, which was also unsuccessful.
While continuing south on SR 60 (Candler Road), the fleeing vehicle struck another vehicle from the rear. The impact forced the second vehicle off the roadway, where it struck several trees. The driver of that vehicle later succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.
The violator continued to flee, and Troopers again attempted a PIT maneuver. The suspect vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway but managed to recover and continued fleeing. The pursuit continued east on SR 332, where the suspect again left the roadway. As the driver attempted to reenter the road, Troopers executed a successful PIT maneuver, causing the vehicle to strike a power pole.
Troopers then exited their vehicles, drew their service weapon, and issued verbal commands for the suspect to exit the vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Troopers deployed a department-issued taser, and the suspect surrendered without further incident.”
Names of the deceased and the suspect were not immediately available.