An aggressive driver tried to outfox an Atlanta cop Wednesday but instead wrecked his car, and then, when he thought he had escaped, was picked up on foot, police reported.
Demetrius Smith, 35, was arrested walking on Spring Street not far from where a patrolman had tried to catch him on Buford Highway more than an hour earlier, Officer Ralph Woolfolk said.
Smith was driving aggressively and cutting across lanes of traffic without signaling on Buford Highway southbound Wednesday afternoon when a patrolman tried to pull him over, Woolfolk said.
Instead, Smith elected to escape by driving on the shoulder of the highway to squeeze by cars while bumping into the wall, Woolfolk said. The officer reported the dangerous driving and stopped his pursuit. The car Smith is suspected of driving disappeared, Woolfolk said.
A short time later, the patrolman exited at Peachtree Street and spotted the suspect car, wrecked and burning after hitting a brick column and fence at an apartment complex at 1660 Peachtree Street, Woolfolk said. Witnesses said the driver had fled on foot into the complex and gave a description, he said.
While the initial search turned up no fugitive, about 90 minutes later, police found Smith walking down Spring Street near the Buford Highway off-ramp and arrested him, Woolfolk said.
He faces a litany of charges, including improper lane change, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving, and striking a fixed object, Woolfolk said.
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