3 arrested after car flees traffic stop, hits pedestrian, slams into American Deli

A vehicle seriously injured a pedestrian when it crashed into an American Deli in northwest Atlanta, shutting down a busy road Wednesday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

About 4:45 p.m., officers spotted a black sedan that was reported stolen from Clayton County, Atlanta police spokeswoman TaSheena Brown told AJC.com. Officers tried to pull the car over at Chappell Road and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, but the car sped away.

About half a mile away, the car crossed the median into oncoming traffic, hitting a pickup truck before slamming into a van parked by the American Deli at 1624 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, Brown said. The wrecked vehicles ended up damaging the restaurant.

A man standing outside the building was also hit by the car, Brown said. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in serious condition with severe injuries to his lower body.

Before the wreck, officers saw “how reckless this driver chose to be,” so the patrol car never engaged in a police chase, Brown said. Instead, officers planned to have an air unit track the suspects’ vehicle.

“However, as that was beginning to occur, the driver of the armed and dangerous vehicle crashed,” she said.

Three people inside the vehicle, who have not been identified, were taken into custody after the crash, Brown said.

The Georgia State Patrol was called in to investigate the wrecks since the crash was caused by a vehicle fleeing a police traffic stop, Brown said. The road was blocked in both directions for investigators, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.

No other details have been released.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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