3 killed in high-speed police chase on Georgia interstate
CORDELE, Ga. - A high-speed chase ended with three people dead in Crisp County – one of the latest in a string of police chases with serious consequences in Georgia.
The CSRA has had a couple of serious pursuits in the past few days, including one that was deadly – crashes that come a little over a year after a strongly urged law enforcement agencies to reduce high-speed chases.
The three people died in Crisp County on Thursday around Mile Marker 103 on Interstate 75, where a pursuit ended after starting in Houston County.
Deputies say a stolen Range Rover struck the back of a tractor-trailer and killed all three people inside the SUV.
IN THE CSRA
Police pursuits: Past week has seen its share
- Shawn E. Threatt, 41, of Milledgeville, died Feb. 17 in a Columbia County police chase that ended in Harlem after he tried to elude capture on arrest warrants.
- And on Thursday, a man was injured in a crash that ended a pursuit after a trooper tried to stop him for speeding on Hephzibah McBean Road in Augusta.
The Georgia State Patrol is working to identify the victims of the Crisp County crash.
The crash comes after a 2023 report from the federal government urged a shift in policies to cut down on high-speed chases.
The centerpiece of the report’s recommendations, published by the U.S. Department of Justice, suggests pursuits should only take place when an officer is aware a violent crime has been committed or when the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime, not the danger created from the suspect’s driving as they flee from police.
THE NATIONAL NUMBERS:
While previous studies have made similar recommendations, what sets this report apart is the broad consensus developed with input from dozens of pursuit policies and guidance from police leaders in local, sheriffs’, state, and tribal agencies.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, pursuits that turned deadly increased 41% from 2001 to 2021. During that time period, 8,203 people died. Of those killed nationally, about 36% were innocent bystanders.
According to annual reports produced by the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the number of pursuits has increased in recent years at the agency. That includes at least 1,673 pursuits in 2022 alone.
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