Atlanta police officer rescues drunk driver from fiery crash

A police officer rescued a drunk driver from a fiery crash early Friday in downtown Atlanta, police said.

A police officer rescued a drunk driver from a fiery crash early Friday in downtown Atlanta, police said.

A police officer rescued a drunk driver from a fiery crash early Friday in downtown Atlanta, police said.

The driver was charged with a host of traffic violations, Officer Stephanie Brown said.

The driver first caught the officer’s attention at I-85 South and Buford Highway. The officer clocked the driver going 104 mph and tried to stop him.

The driver kept going, according to police.

“The officer went after the vehicle,” Brown said. “He finally caught up to the vehicle at the John Portman exit.”

The driver pretended to stop, but sped away as the officer approached, according to police.

The officer initially lost track of the SUV. He eventually found it when the driver crashed at Baker Street and Park Avenue. The officer pulled the driver out of the vehicle just as it was catching fire, according to police.

“The driver was extremely intoxicated,” Brown said.

No one was injured in the incident.

The driver’s name, the full list of charges against him and other details were not released.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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