The driver of a stolen car that was being monitored by Atlanta police’s air unit lost control on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and hit a wall Wednesday afternoon, the department said.
Officers were alerted to the stolen vehicle about 3:30 p.m. and nearby units asked for air surveillance to track its location, but they did not engage in a pursuit per department protocol, according to a news release. The air unit maintained visual coordinates as the vehicle was driven “recklessly and erratically," police said.
Once the driver lost control, the vehicle hit a wall in the 800 block of MLK Jr. Drive. All three men inside the vehicle were injured and had to be taken to the Grady Detention Center, with one in serious condition, police said. Their names and charges have not been released.
Officers said they found a gun in the stolen vehicle. The investigation is ongoing.
Atlanta police decided to stop chasing suspects in January. Former Chief Erika Shields made the decision after several deadly incidents.
Two motorists, including one on the way to pick up medicine for his disabled child, were killed when they were struck by a stolen car whose drivers were fleeing pursuit. And a driver in a stolen vehicle fleeing police smashed into a woman’s car on New Year’s Eve, killing her.
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