A 27-year-old woman lost her unborn child after a police chase in Barrow County ended in a three-car crash last week, the sheriff’s office said Monday.
Nichole Faith Allen of Winder was recovering in the hospital Monday but was unable to speak, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Allen’s Kia Forte was hit head-on Thursday as she was driving west on Ga. 82, sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Ryan Sears said in a news release.
Deputies were chasing Aubrey Franklin Arnold, who was wanted on felony warrants in Barrow and Jackson counties, Sears said.
Arnold was going well over 100 mph when he lost control, slid and caused the crash, Channel 2 reported.
Allen was 18 weeks pregnant with her first child, a boy, according to a GoFundMe Page set up for medical expenses. She had another surgery scheduled for Monday, the page states.
The sheriff’s office received a report that Arnold, 36, of Athens, was in the parking lot of a Shell gas station at 1233 Atlanta Highway, Sears said.
A deputy went to the gas station, approached Arnold and asked him to step out of a Chevrolet Silverado. Rather than comply, Arnold drove off and hit the deputy with the side of the truck, Sears said.
Deputies chased Arnold, who was ejected from his truck after hitting Allen just east of Ga. 211, Sears said.
Witness Wayne Ridgeway told Channel 2 he watched as Arnold’s body flew through the air, he said.
Arnold and Allen both were taken to Athens Regional Medical Center. The deputy Arnold hit was not seriously injured, Sears said.
A third vehicle involved in the crash did not sustain much damage and the driver wasn’t seriously hurt.
The deputies involved in the chase and crash are still trying to deal with what happened, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.
“They are all struggling with the fact of what happened to this young lady, this innocent lady, and her family,” Smith told Channel 2.
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Arnold faces aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, feticide by vehicle, DUI and multiple traffic charges.
Smith said Arnold will be booked when he is released from the hospital.
According to records obtained from the Superior Court of Barrow County, Arnold has been arrested and convicted multiple times on different charges in Barrow and Jackson counties, Sears said.
Allen’s family has denied requests to talk about their tragedy.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Allen family in this extremely difficult time,” Smith said.
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