A man suspected of driving while impaired was killed after a PIT maneuver caused him to crash during a high-speed police chase, authorities said.
About midnight Thursday, a Newnan police officer spotted a 2002 Dodge Ram being driven against the curb of Greenville Street for about 50 yards or so, according to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. The officer believed the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The officer pulled over the driver, and when he began to approach the rear of the vehicle, the driver sped away, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The officer gave chase until Coweta deputies joined the pursuit along Ga. 29.
The chase reached nearly 100 mph, and the Dodge’s headlights were off the entire time, the release said. The suspect is accused of running a red light at the intersection of Ga. 29 and I-85, while going 98 mph.
A deputy performed a PIT maneuver near the city limits of Moreland, causing the Dodge to spin out into a pasture, the release said. The driver, identified as 29-year-old Rafael Jevon Minniefield, was ejected.
Deputies performed first aid until paramedics arrived, but Minniefield died en route to a hospital, the release said. The sheriff’s office said ecstasy, marijuana and a large amount of cash were recovered from his vehicle.
Newnan police Deputy Chief Mark Cooper told AJC.com that the Georgia State Patrol has been called in to investigate the incident. He referred all other questions to the sheriff’s office and the GSP.
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