Twin City escapee recaptured in Richmond County
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We are learning more details on how an escaped inmate was recaptured in Richmond County after fleeing a detention site in Twin City.
Thomas Wright has escaped from the Emanuel Probation Detention Center in Twin City, authorities said Sunday, but he was back in custody Monday morning.
Authorities said that after escaping, Wright made it to Candler County and stole a vehicle.
Then, he traveled to Richmond County, where a deputy tried to stop him.
“Our special response team was requested about 9 p.m. last night to assist the fugitive task force in Twin City. So, while we were on scene, our Candler County deputies got a call for a stolen vehicle on the Northern end of the county,” said Candler County Sheriff’s Office Captain Justin Wells.
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Capt. Wells at Candler County Sheriff’s office said it would’ve been around a four-mile walk to cross the county line into Candler County.
There, officials told us Wright stole a White Chevrolet Tahoe parked on private property on Ollifftown Road.
The manhunt went on until 1 a.m., when the Georgia State Patrol caught him in Richmond County.
According to a press release, on Monday at 1:09 a.m., a trooper from the Goegria State Patrol Grovetown Post was advised by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office of a stolen white Chevrolet Tahoe driven by an escaped inmate from Emanual County.
When RCSO units arrived at his location, GSP tells us the trooper used his emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. The vehicle began to slow down and then sped up, initiating a pursuit.
“The vehicle reached speeds of 90 mph in a 45-mph zone. After observing the driver’s high speeds and reckless behavior, the Trooper made the decision to end the pursuit using a successful Precision Immobilization Technique maneuver near Cornelia Road,” the press release states.
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GSP tells us that they located the Tahoe through Flock cameras in Richmond County.
“The trooper was sitting stationary when he observed the vehicle travel past him eastbound on Georgia 4 and fail to stop for a red light at Augusta Tech Drive,” according to the press release.
Troopers say the driver was taken into custody without incident and confirmed as the escaped inmate out of Emanual County. The vehicle was also confirmed to be stolen.
Wright was transported to a local hospital due to his complaint of minor injuries, where the Georgia Department of Corrections then took him into custody.
Now, Wright faces charges in Emanuel County for escaping and Captain Wells says his agency will be charging Wright for the stolen vehicle.
Wright also faces additional charges from the Georgia State Patrol for felony fleeing, failure to obey a traffic control device, and driving while unlicensed.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is handling the charges associated with the stolen vehicle, according to GSP.
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