Two people were killed Thursday night when a man fleeing police in a stolen car slammed into the back of a pickup truck on I-75 in northwest Georgia, authorities said.
The chase began about 10:30 p.m. in Ringgold when a man reported that his Ford Mustang was stolen from the Circle K on Battlefield Parkway near the interstate.
According to police, the man parked his car at a gas pump, but left his keys inside when he ran into the store. Another man who was standing outside hopped into the Mustang and drove off, Ringgold police said in a statement.
The suspect drove into a nearby neighborhood on Smitherman Road, which is a dead-end street, authorities said. When he circled back and drove past the gas station, a Ringgold police officer and a Catoosa County deputy were waiting.
“The driver of the vehicle failed to stop for the officers and continued to travel northbound onto Interstate 75,” police said.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the suspect drove recklessly at speeds of “well over” 100 mph in the far left lane.
“The Ford Mustang attempted to change lanes from the left travel lane to the middle lane when it struck a Dodge Ram pickup in the rear,” the GSP said in a statement.
The impact of the collision sent the truck across the northbound lanes, through a center guard rail and into oncoming traffic, authorities said. The pickup rolled several times before coming to a stop in the middle lanes.
The driver of the Mustang, who was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected during the crash. Both he and the driver of the pickup were killed, police said.
Authorities said Friday they are not releasing the names of either driver until their families have been notified.
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