Three men working on a Buckhead construction project did not hesitate when they saw a wrong-way driver slam into a vehicle in the middle of an intersection last week and take off running.
The men told Channel 2 Action News they chased the driver about 200 yards before catching up with him. Chase Albrecht said he called upon his jiujitsu training to hold the driver, a 16-year-old boy, until authorities arrived just before 2 p.m. Friday.
“I pinned his hip down, and I had shoulder pressure on his chin to keep him from turning into me,” Albrecht told the news station.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The wreck seriously damaged 23-year-old Brittany Lopez’s small SUV. In an interview with Channel 2, she said she bought the vehicle two days before and was driving it home from work when she was hit at the intersection of Peachtree and Stratford roads.
Video of the crash released by Atlanta police shows Lopez turning left onto Peachtree when a Mercedes-Benz SUV comes barreling through the intersection traveling the wrong way. The impact smashed the front of Lopez’s car and sent both vehicles into the middle of the intersection.
“All I can remember is seeing the side of the airbag explode, and I blacked out,” Lopez said.
Her father was following in the car behind. Lopez said her father wanted to chase down the teenage driver but stopped to check on her first.
“By the mercy of God, I lived,” she told the news station.
When police arrived, they apprehended the 16-year-old and confiscated a handgun and nearly $4,000 cash, according to an arrest report obtained by AJC.com. He was taken to a hospital and later released to his parents with a copy of his charges, which include driving without a license, reckless driving, hit-and-run and possessing a weapon as a minor.
According to Channel 2, the teen was driving his mother’s vehicle.
Both police and Lopez are praising the three construction workers for their actions that brought a quick resolution to the case.
“I am forever grateful to them. God bless you guys,” Lopez said in a video message. “You guys are amazing.”
— Staff writer Tanni Deb contributed to this article.
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