The driver of a stolen car who was shot after leading Habersham County deputies on a three-county, two-state chase, has been released from the hospital.
The man, identified as 24-year old Austin Thomason, was booked into the Habersham County Detention Center pending charges, according to Habersham Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Wurtz. Thomason faces numerous charges including fugitive from justice, aggravated assault, theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, and various traffic charges.
Wurtz says Thomason is wanted out of Greenville County, South Carolina on unrelated charges.
Thomason was shot by a Habersham deputy at the end of a 40-mile police chase that started in Clarkesville after midnight on April 7th.
The chase ran through Habersham and Rabun Counties before ending in Macon County, North Carolina near the town of Otto on US Highway 441 when Thomason lost control of the car. The grey Infiniti, which had been reported stolen from the Shell gas station on Washington Street in Clarkesville, ended up in a ditch.
“Habersham County Deputies were attempting to make contact with the driver at which time shots were fired,” the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release issued on the day of the shooting.
Photos from the scene show the Infiniti with a shattered back window. According to WLOS-TV, Thomason was shot in the head. The station quoted Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland as saying, “Once this vehicle wrecked, it’s my understanding that that vehicle then made an attempt to continue to flee and it was at that time that the shooting occurred.”
Habersham County authorities are releasing limited details pending the investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. According to Wurtz, “NCSBI is still investigating the shooting incident and has not released any findings at this time.”
The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
A female passenger in the car, identified as 21-year old Crystal Singleton, was arrested by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. She’s charged with possession of a stolen automobile.
