A motorcyclist was taken to the hospital after he crashed his bike into a ditch while trying to get away from Habersham County deputies. The crash happened early Saturday morning on GA 52 in Cornelia.
The chase began at 2:40 a.m. on Feb. 10 when a deputy saw a motorcycle with a non-functional tag light pass by him on GA 365 in Baldwin, says the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
The motorcyclist, later identified as 33-year-old Codey Wayne Shoemake of Cornelia, turned onto Alto-Mud Creek Road toward Gainesville Highway. The pursuing deputy said Shoemake then turned right onto Gainesville Highway toward Hall County, accelerating to speeds between 80 and 96 mph.
A second Habersham County deputy joined the chase at Crane Mill Road, and they continued into Hall County on Old Cornelia Highway. The chase continued for about 12 more miles. It ended around 2:50 a.m. when Shoemake missed the turn at the intersection of GA 52 and ran down an embankment into the ditch.
According to HCSO, Shoemake told deputies he ran because he thought there was a warrant out for his arrest because he still had an ex-girlfriend’s car.
A sheriff’s office press release states, “No Habersham County Sheriff’s Office units contacted the motorcycle or were damaged during the pursuit. ”
An ambulance transported Shoemake to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville to be checked out. When he was released, he was booked into the Habersham County Detention Center on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and reckless driving. He was released on a $3,720 bond.
