A high-speed chase through north Atlanta ended with a fiery crash early Friday morning when the driver of a fleeing vehicle lost control and struck a light pole and a tree in Buckhead.
Both the driver and a passenger in a black Chrysler 200 were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital after troopers pulled them from the burning vehicle to safety, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Firefighters who treated them at the scene described their conditions as critical.
The troopers were on patrol in the area of Ga. 400 South near Lenox Road around 1 a.m. when they first clocked the Chrysler at speeds in excess of 120 mph, a spokesperson for the GSP said in a statement. They flipped on their emergency lights and sirens, and the Chrysler turned off its headlights to make a run for it, the agency said.
The chase continued onto Sidney Marcus Boulevard and Piedmont Road before the Chrysler entered the Buford Spring Connector traveling south. The sedan’s driver then tried to access I-85 South but lost control “due to his reckless speeds,” hit the pole and the tree and the vehicle burst into flames, spokesperson Courtney Floyd said.
“Troopers ran towards the vehicle and discovered the driver was against the rear of the vehicle with a broken leg,” she said. “Troopers also discovered a passenger belted into the passenger seat.”
They dragged the female passenger to safety before returning for the driver, who was unable to walk.
Crews with the Atlanta fire department arrived at about 1:10 a.m. and found the vehicle partially engulfed in flames. They quickly put out the fire and turned their attention to the two injured, providing care until Grady EMS arrived, an Atlanta fire spokesperson said.
According to the GSP, the driver, whose name was not released, had a suspended license. He is facing charges of felony fleeing and eluding, reckless conduct, speeding, failure to maintain lane and driving without headlights, in addition to a charge related to his license.
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