A Georgia deputy and a man wanted in two counties were both injured Wednesday morning when the suspect fled a traffic stop with the deputy inside his car, authorities said.
The man, who was wanted on charges of obstruction and fleeing and eluding, didn’t make it far — slamming into a median wall on I-75 with the unexpected passenger in his lap, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident started shortly after 9:30 a.m. when Deputy Dalton Mosley stopped a white Audi in the northbound lanes of the interstate for not having a license plate, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Anna Lewis said. Mosley walked up to the sedan and identified its driver as Albany resident Darion Ponder, who was wanted in both Mitchell and Webster counties, authorities said.
The deputy asked Ponder to step out of the vehicle and explained he would be arrested, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. That’s when the driver made a break for it, hopping back into the car with the deputy in pursuit.
“Darion jumped into the vehicle and Deputy Mosley jumped into the vehicle after him,” Lewis said, adding that Ponder managed to put the car in drive and step on the gas. “The vehicle crossed over four lanes of traffic, with both Darion and Deputy Mosley still inside.”
Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office
The Audi crashed into the median wall, injuring the deputy and the driver, authorities said. Both men were taken to the hospital.
Mosley, who has been with the department since 2019, sustained a cut to his head and other minor injuries, the sheriff’s office said. Ponder suffered a broken ankle. Both were later released from the hospital.
Ponder was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer, felony obstruction, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug-related objects, authorities said. He also faces several traffic charges.
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