Authorities have released new details about the two-county chase that led to the arrest of a Dawsonville man late Thursday night. Authorities say 29-year-old Dakota Meister initiated the chase through Habersham and Stephens counties when he failed to stop for a traffic stop in Habersham County.
“The initial reason for the traffic stop was expired registration and no insurance,” says Habersham County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Rob Moore.
Resident calls 911
The chase continued into Stephens County. Deputies there were initially told the suspect they were chasing had felony murder warrants originating out of Hall County. However, it was later discovered that was not the case, according to information released by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon.
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The chase briefly ended when Stephens County deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers lost sight of the motorcycle on Dicks Hill Parkway. A resident in the Ayersville Road area called 911 to report the suspect had abandoned his motorcycle on Foxfire Road and fled into the woods.
Pursuing officers quickly established a perimeter to contain Meister. Deputies from Stephens and Banks counties deployed drones equipped with infrared technology to assist in finding him.
Tracking Meister
A K9 named Lady and her handler tracked Meister through the woods to railroad tracks in the area and found him lying in a ditch near Ben Loudermilk Road.
A photo shared to the Stephens County Facebook page shows the K9 unit and other officers taking Meister into custody. According to the Georgia State Patrol, Meister sustained minor injuries and was transported to Stephens County Hospital before being booked at the county jail.
According to Moore, the Dawsonville man is wanted on several outstanding warrants in Hall and Dawson counties and another county in the region. However, it remains unclear what those warrants are for.
In addition to the outstanding warrants, Meister faces charges from all three agencies involved in the pursuit.
