A driver faces a slew of charges after crashing into two patrol vehicles during a two-county chase through North Georgia overnight.
Around 9:15 p.m. Monday, a White County deputy reportedly observed a vehicle driving erratically on Highway 115. When the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle near Jess Hunt Road west of Cleveland, officials say the driver fled.
With the deputy in pursuit, officials say the suspect stopped at Redbud Drive, reversed his vehicle, and struck the front of the White County patrol vehicle. The chase continued onto Hwy. 115 and State Route 52 into Lumpkin County where officials say the suspect struck a Lumpkin County sheriff’s patrol car at a “high rate of speed.” The impact disabled the suspect’s vehicle and he fled on foot.
“The driver was pursued on foot but was not originally located. With the use of a White County Sheriff’s Office K9, the driver was located attempting to conceal himself in a wooded area,” states a news release from the White County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities identified the suspect as 54-year-old Jody Shea of Chatsworth. The wreck injured Shea. Lumpkin County EMS transported him from the scene. He now faces drug and traffic charges. The incident remains under investigation.
Troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 37 in Cumming assisted at the scene. The chase and manhunt shut down SR 52 for approximately two and a half hours Monday night. As of Tuesday, January 31, Shea remained hospitalized.
