The man who died after crashing a stolen car into a tree Wednesday afternoon in southeast Atlanta was identified Thursday as Aaron Owens, 18, of Atlanta.

Officers spotted the Oldsmobile Intrigue, which had been reported stolen from Douglas County, on University Avenue around 4:45 p.m., Sgt. Curtis Davenport told the AJC. Officers followed the sedan, which sped up in an apparent effort to get away from the patrol car, but never turned on the blue lights.

"We never initiated a chase," Davenport said.

When officers lost track of the car, an air unit was called in to help locate the car, which then crashed into a tree on Meador Avenue, Davenport said. Emergency responders had to extricate the man from the car.

Owens, who had $40, a cell phone and a stolen Glock handgun, died after being transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, Davenport said.

Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this article.

About the Author

Featured

The renovation of Jekyll Island's Great Dunes golf course includes nine holes designed by Walter Travis in the 1920s for the members of the Jekyll Island Club. Several holes that were part of the original layout where located along the beach and were bulldozed in the 1950s.(Photo by Austin Kaseman)

Credit: Photo by Austin Kaseman