Tragic Crash Kills One on Bethel Road in Hall County, Georgia (GA)

HALL COUNTY, GA- Ajc.com writes that a car crash occurred in Hall County this week that killed one person and injured another. The incident took place in the context of a police chase. A driver was reportedly in a Chevrolet Equinox in the early afternoon, traveling on Bethel Road. A police officer attempted to pull the driver over, but the suspect fled the scene.*

The driver was speeding away northbound from the officer and drifted onto the shoulder before veering back across the road and into the southbound lanes. The Chevy went up an embankment and then fell onto a Chevrolet work truck. The driver in the truck died in the wreck. Responders stated that the victim was declared dead at the scene.

A passenger was in the car with the suspect, and she sustained severe injuries in the crash as well. That individual was identified as a 28-year-old woman. The condition of the passenger is not currently known, but she was transported to the hospital following the collision. 

The driver, a 30-year-old man, also suffered injuries in the incident and is now in the hospital. Police filed multiple charges against the man, including for fleeing and attempting to elude police, driving under the influence of drugs, serious injury by motor vehicle, failure to maintain lane, driving on an expired license, and obstructing law enforcement officers. 

Police chases often lead to the injury or death of innocent bystanders. The number of such pursuits is currently increasing nationally. When bystanders are killed, officers often place the blame on the suspect who fled the scene. However, cities frequently end up paying out settlements after police chases end in crashes. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.ajc.com/news/1-dead-1-injured-after-gainesville-driver-crashes-while-fleeing-traffic-stop/5VNTJNI5V5ATBJ3J2ZXWWKGQKY/

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/investigations/article226512455.html