A brief pursuit of a stolen BMW came to an abrupt halt when the driver ran a red light at a busy Newton County intersection and slammed into two other vehicles, authorities said.
The chase, which kicked off at about 2 p.m. on the Fourth of July, lasted less than 2 miles but topped speeds of 100 mph, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. Three people stopped at the red light were injured, including two listed in critical condition Tuesday.
According to a police report, a license plate-reading camera notified the sheriff’s office of a stolen BMW SUV in the area of Crowell and Harold Dobbs roads in the Porterdale area. A deputy then spotted the vehicle in the parking lot of a gas station at the Brown Bridge Road intersection and began to follow it.
After the deputy activated his lights and siren, the BMW took off south on Crowell Road, according to the report. The vehicle hit two others stopped at the light at Ga. 81 a short time later.
One vehicle was hit on the driver’s side, and another was hit head on, the deputy said in the report. A driver and passenger in a Toyota Camry were critically injured, while the driver of a Mercury was seriously injured. Updates on their conditions were not provided Thursday.
Following the crash, the deputy tried to grab the driver of the BMW as he was climbing out of the wreckage. The man fell back, causing the door to slam on the deputy’s hand, and giving him time to jump out the other side of the vehicle, the deputy said.
He was last seen running north on Crowell Road and has not been apprehended, a sheriff’s spokesperson confirmed Thursday. The agency has not publicly identified the driver, who was wearing an ankle monitor at the time.
The Georgia State Patrol helicopter was called to assist in the search. The state agency is also assisting with the crash investigation, according to a spokesperson.
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