CLAYTON — The Georgia State Patrol, Dillard Police Department and Mountain City Police Department are charging a Cleveland man after an “extremely high-speed chase” through Rabun County Thursday afternoon.
Trooper 1st Class Jesse Lewis of GSP Post 7 in Toccoa said he activated his blue lights and siren to pull over a 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle with no tag on Ga. 15 (U.S. 441) near Boggs Mountain Road at 5:09 p.m.
Boggs Mountain Road is located near the Rabun County Arena, Rabun County Recreation Department and Rabun County schools.
The motorcyclist, identified by Lewis as 45-year-old Eric Anthony Moss of Cleveland, “got up to over 100 mph before he reached the Clayton city limits,” Lewis said.
Lewis said the motorcyclist was driving extremely recklessly, passing cars on the shoulder, running red lights and weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed.
The motorcycle ran the red light on Ga. 15 at Walmart in Clayton and “was within feet of an SUV that was coming the opposite direction,” Lewis said.
Because of speed and traffic, Clayton police officers cleared the intersections on Ga. 15.
“He ran all the red lights through Clayton,” Lewis said.
Even though he was pursuing the fleeing driver with his emergency equipment activated, Lewis said he had to slow down and exercise due regard at each intersection where the light was red. That allowed the motorcycle to extend its lead on the trooper.
“Dillard Police became the primary pursuing unit at Rabun Gap,” Lewis said.
When the motorcyclist attempted to turn right onto Ga. 246 toward Sky Valley, he struck a curve and the motorcycle overturned.
Moss suffered what Lewis called minor road rash injuries, but refused treatment.
No patrol cars made contact with the fleeing motorcycle, Lewis said.
Lewis charged Moss with 12 charges, including: felony fleeing, reckless driving, aggressive driving, driving with a suspended license, failure to obey a traffic control device, no proof of insurance on a motorcycle, failure to signal when changing lanes, failure to change address on identification card, failure to maintain lane, driving through a gore, passing on the shoulder of the road, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
“Mountain City and Dillard took separate charges,” Lewis said.
Municipal charges against Moss include: fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, speeding in excess of maximum limits, weaving over roadway, driving on wrong side of road, reckless driving, driving while license withdrawn, fleeing or attempting to elude police officer, reckless driving, too fast for conditions, improper use of central turn lane, passing in a no-passing zone, and driving while license withdrawn.
Lewis said there was moderate traffic, especially in Clayton and Mountain City, at the time of the pursuit.
The chase started at 5:09 p.m. and Moss was taken into custody at 5:18.
“[Moss] was endangering a lot of lives the way he was driving,” Lewis said. “Nine minutes through 13 miles of Rabun County.”
Moss was booked in at the Rabun County Detention Center.
