Erin Hill
Gadsden County News ServiceA high-speed police chase that began in Gadsden County on the night of May 1 ended in a fatal crash in Sneads, according to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Sneads Police Department.
The incident began around 9:30 p.m. when officers with the Chattahoochee Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding. During the attempted stop, the driver allegedly discarded a large quantity of methamphetamines and other drugs before fleeing westbound on U.S. Highway 90 at high speeds, entering Jackson County and eventually the town of Sneads.
A Sneads officer observed the SUV traveling westbound at an estimated 130 miles per hour past McDaniel’s Piggly Wiggly, closely followed by Chattahoochee police. The vehicle later turned onto a side street and headed back east on Old Spanish Trail. Speeds reportedly exceeded 100 miles per hour along the narrow, two-lane road, with the vehicle narrowly missing a pedestrian.
The driver failed to navigate a sharp left-hand curve at the end of Old Spanish Trail. According to Florida Highway Patrol, the vehicle veered off the road, striking several bundles of 10-inch PVC pipes and a large concrete manhole cover before going airborne and colliding with a small excavator. The SUV overturned multiple times and landed on its roof on the south shoulder, where it caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames.
The driver, a 40-year-old man from Camilla, Georgia, was ejected approximately 125 feet and pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by pursuing officers. The 32-year-old male passenger from Leesburg, Georgia, was pulled from the burning vehicle by first responders and airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The vehicle, believed to be a 2016 Lincoln MKX, was heavily damaged and unrecognizable due to the fire. U.S. 90 east of Legion Road was shut down for about two hours following the crash. Authorities have not released the names of those involved.
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the incident as a traffic homicide.
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