A chase of an SUV that started Saturday morning in Fort Oglethorpe ended with a wreck on Highway 153 near I-75. The driver reportedly fired at police earlier in the chase, and for a lengthy time refused to give himself up after the wreck. Police finally got the situation under control.
Police said 30-year-old Aaron Chad Crowe had pointed a handgun at a Fort Oglethorpe Police officer, which started the pursuit shortly before 9 a.m.
After the crash, the SWAT Team was stationed near the vehicle and officers with guns drawn were near the vehicle.
The SUV ran into another SUV on the sweeping curve off I-75 onto the northbound lanes of Highway 153. The SUV then spun into grass near a retaining wall. Two elderly occupants of the SUV that were struck walked to a nearby ambulance.
The man's airbag deployed in the crash, but Crowe was able to lean out the window and curse the officers.
Jack Henderson said he was making the sweeping curve when the SUV passed him when police cars right behind him. He said he saw the vehicle strike the rear of the SUV that was in front of him.
Mr. Henderson said he did not see a gun in the man's hand during the incident, "but I was told that he had fired a shot at police earlier."
He said after about 40 minutes stuck behind the site of the wreck, he and others were able to go back in the other direction.
The incident stalled traffic in the vicinity of the wreck for several hours.
After the incident was resolved, the southbound lanes of Highway 153 were reopened. But it was expected to be until around 3 p.m. until other affected lanes, including nearby I-75 were fully open.
Crowe is facing numerous charges in two states.