Cobb Man in critical condition after police chase

By KATIE LESLIE

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Cobb County man is in critical condition after crashing his car following a police pursuit in Alpharetta, according to police.

Alpharetta police have identified the man as John Nowell, 44, according to spokesman Officer George Gordon.

The chase began around 2 a.m. when an officer on DUI patrol noticed a silver GMC Envoy driving erratically on Ga. 400 southbound, Gordon said.

The officer attempted to pull over Nowell, who was weaving through traffic, but he took off at a high speed, Gordon said. The chase continued into Alpharetta city streets and Nowell drove through parking lots and bushes, he said.

At one point, the officer lost sight of the Envoy, but Nowell then crashed and overturned the SUV at North Point Drive and Haynes Bridge Road, striking a concrete retaining wall, Gordon said. Nowell was ejected from the vehicle.

He has been taken to North Fulton Hospital in critical condition.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash and the possibility that alcohol was a factor.

“He tried so many evasive maneuvers,” Gordon said. “We don’t know why this guy ran.”

Because of the police pursuit, Georgia State Patrol has been called in to help reconstruct the incident, Gordon said.