Chatham, Co., GA - Stolen Police Car - 100 MPH Chase - Roll
Over Crash
07/13/07
High Speed Police Chase Ends in Violent Crash
The pursuit ended with the old police car flipping.
Police were led on a high-speed chase earlier today following a report of three
cars stolen in Bloomingdale.
Major Burke of the Pooler Police Department says a Toyota Camry, a Camaro and
the old Chatham County police car were stolen from a transmission shop in
Bloomingdale.
A few hours later, the cars were spotted while the thieves were getting gas at a
gas station right next to the Pooler Police Department. A bulletin came out
about the stolen vehicles and an officer gave chase. "Two of the cars were side
by side at the gas pump, he spotted them and when he approached, they took off,"
Burke told WTOC.
He was able to chase one of the suspects and the pursuit ended with the old
police car flipping while traveling at speeds well over 100 mph. "He lost
control of the vehicle at a high rate of speed and rolled his car three times
and it threw him out," Burke said.
From the gas station, a man only described as an 18 to 20-year-old white male
took off down Louisville Road, through a trailer park and a nearby subdivision
before coming back down Rogers Street to Pine Barren Road, hitting Highway 80
and connecting onto Pooler Parkway.
Mark Edwards works across the street from where the chase finally ended. "We
saw the dirt flying and came out, and he went end over end and flipped for at
least 50 yards," Edwards said.
The two other cars may still be on the loose, but the old police car and the man
driving it were caught. He was sent to the hospital. "He flipped for at least 50
yards. It was bad," Edwards said. "Public or racetrack, I have never seen
anything like that in a while."
"I've seen plenty of these," Burke said. "But not like that."
The other two men may have gotten away, but with one suspect caught, Major Burke
thinks the others will be brought to justice soon. "I think Bloomingdale Police
know who they are and they know who this one is," he said.
If you have any information on the car thefts or the whereabouts of the
suspects, contact Bloomingdale or Pooler police. No further information has been
released on their identities or further description of the vehicles.