Chase ends in crash, 2 arrests as officials continue to target car thefts

The Georgia State Patrol and the Atlanta Police Department are targeting car thefts.

The Georgia State Patrol and the Atlanta Police Department are targeting car thefts.

A police chase ended in a crash in northwest Atlanta on Friday afternoon in a joint exercise involving the Georgia State Patrol and the Atlanta Police Department, authorities said.

Around 2 p.m., a trooper attempted to stop a Chrysler for traffic violations, the GSP said in an email. The driver fled and eventually crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Rockwood Avenue and H.E. Holmes Drive.

Two men were taken into custody after attempting to run. The troopers recovered drugs that were in a bag, the GSP said.

During the pursuit, a trooper was involved in a separate accident. The trooper’s condition was not released.

The agencies’ effort is part of a crackdown on car thefts, Channel 2 Action News reported. According to the GSP, Friday’s efforts led to multiple arrests and three stolen cars and a stolen gun being recovered.

It is the agencies’ second such exercise this week. Four people were arrested Tuesday after three separate incidents involving stolen vehicles in southwest Atlanta.

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