The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a police pursuit which ended in a fatal vehicle crash in Athens. According to a release from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, on Thursday, August 29th at approximately 5:48 pm, the Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office pursued a motorcycle into Clarke County on Lexington Road. As the motorcycle approached the intersection of Lexington Road and Woodgrove Drive, it struck a vehicle. The driver of the motorcycle was killed in the collision.
The ACCPD was not involved in the pursuit.
This is the seventh fatal crash in Athens-Clarke County in 2024.
A Facebook post on the Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office states the driver of the motorcycle was being stopped for not having a tag on the vehicle.
Even though this is a traffic offense, it is often a sign that the motorcycle may be stolen, and the person is attempting to conceal the identity of the vehicle. The person on the motorcycle then took off in low to medium traffic. At times when there was no traffic the chase reached speeds of 100 mph. The majority of the chase was between 60-80 mph per hour and as low as 25 mph at one point. Deputies can legally pursue drivers in to other counties under Georgia law. The deputy decided to terminate the chase prior to getting to the area of Walmart on Lexington Rd. The deputy turned off his lights and sirens and began slowing down as he approached Cornerstone Church. The deputy stated it appeared the person being pursued had turned and was watching what he was doing and did not see the car turn in front of him 39 seconds later. Unfortunately, the individual's decisions resulted in him losing his life. Oglethorpe County has recently acquired in car cameras in which the entire chase was recorded.
