A quarterback on Clark Atlanta University’s football team tried to escape state troopers Sunday and led them on a chaotic chase through DeKalb County, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
Elijah Odom, 23, was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude police for a felony, reckless driving, hit-and-run and possession of marijuana. He spent three days in the DeKalb County jail before being released Wednesday, booking records show.
Odom, who is from Newport News, Virginia, played in 10 games last season, throwing for seven touchdowns, rushing for another and even catching a touchdown pass, according to Clark Atlanta’s athletics website.
State troopers had to perform two PIT maneuvers to stop the 2016 Dodge Challenger he was driving Sunday after he was spotted leaving a drag racing event in DeKalb, the GSP said. DeKalb police asked troopers to help clear out a large gathering of vehicles congregated in a convenience store parking lot on Candler Road.
Troopers noticed Odom’s car leaving the parking lot and tried to pull him over because the vehicle had illegal tint on the windows, GSP spokeswoman Konswello Monroe said in a news release.
Troopers said Odom fled down an alley behind the store, setting off the pursuit. He stopped at one point, allowing two men to jump out of the car. They escaped as Odom continued to speed down several side streets, according to the release.
At one point, he struck a vehicle at East Lake Terrace and Oakview Road, troopers allege.
According to the crash report, Odom was driving north against oncoming traffic. A trooper chasing him crossed the median to perform a PIT maneuver on Odom’s car. That caused his Challenger to spin off the road and crash into a cement retaining wall. Odom recovered and tried getting back on the road, but another trooper swooped in and performed a second PIT maneuver that pushed the car onto the west shoulder of East Lake Drive near the Park Place intersection, reports said.
The pursuit came to an end just after 6:50 p.m. Troopers took Odom into custody along with a 26-year-old man who was a passenger in the vehicle, Monroe said. That man was not charged.
Troopers found marijuana, a pistol and a rifle in the car, according to the release.
Investigators also found videos on Odom’s Instagram page that showed him doing burnouts in his car Sunday and driving recklessly in front of the convenience store. His account was locked and private Friday.
Clark Atlanta officials did not provide a statement on the arrest when contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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