Motorcyclist wanted in chase arrested

CUMMING - A motorcyclist who was wanted in connection with a chase that left a Forsyth County Sheriff's Office patrol car wreck has been captured.

Randall Lanier Nichols, 53, Elmo Road, Cumming, faces four felony charges in connection with the chase, including Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, two counts of Possession of Methamphetamine and Fleeing and Attempting to Elude.

In addition, Nichols faces four misdemeanor charges, including Displaying an Obscured License Plate on his motorcycle, Possession of Marijuana, Reckless Driving and Violation of Probation. Nichols was already on probation for possession of marijuana.

Nichols was identified as the driver of a motorcycle that fled from a routine traffic stop that started on Memorial Day on Pilgrim Mill Road. The driver attempted to elude deputies at speeds up to 80 miles per hour, according to Sheriff Ted Paxton. At one point during the chase, the pursuing deputy s patrol car left the road and went into a ditch. Neither of the two deputies in the patrol car or the police dog who was in the car were injured.

Nichols became a suspect when another deputy remembered a traffic stop he had made in August, 2009 on a similar motorcycle.

A review of the video tape from that traffic stop confirmed Nichols identity.

On Friday evening, an off-duty Sheriff's Office investigator stopped at a convenience store at Matt Highway and Bannister Road and spotted Nichols sitting in a nearby car. Uniformed deputies were called in and Nichols was placed under arrest without any resistance.