CLARKESVILLE – North Carolina officials are continuing to investigate the end of a Habersham County high-speed chase that ended in gunfire just inside that state early Friday.
Just after midnight Friday morning, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop a silver Infinity car that had been reported stolen from Shell Fuel Station on Washington Street about 8:15 p.m. Thursday.
“After we pursued the vehicle through Clarkesville, it went all the way up Hollywood Highway on up onto Old Historic 441 into Turnerville on the two-lane, then got onto Ga. 15 and went up through Clayton,” Habersham County Sheriff's Lt. Matt Wurtz said. “Sometime around the area of Walmart in Clayton, it’s our understanding that Rabun County S.O. had deployed Spike Strips for that vehicle pursuit, and from our understanding it deflated at least one tire on the vehicle.
“The vehicle continued on up Ga. 15/[U.S.] 441 all the way into North Carolina,” Wurtz said. “Again, our understanding and from what we can tell it was only about a mile to mile and a half, maybe two miles, into North Carolina, where the driver lost control of the vehicle and it came to rest. Deputies then got out to attempt to apprehend the driver and sometime in there shots were fired. The driver of the vehicle was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for his injuries during the gunfire. There was a passenger in the vehicle that was also transported to a hospital and taken into custody by Macon County S.O.”
Wurtz said deputies did not take action to bring the fleeing car to a stop.
“There was never any contact” between the fleeing car and deputies’ vehicles, Wurtz said. “Our understanding is that the driver just lost control from the deflated tire from the spike strips that were deployed earlier in the pursuit.”
The identities of all parties involved are being withheld as part of the ongoing investigation. That information could be available as early as next week.
“We’re not able to release any information as far as the deputies involved with the pursuit or the deputy involved in the shooting, and the suspects that were in the vehicle,” Wurtz said. “All that is being handled by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and when they get done with their investigation we’ll be able to release more information after that.”
The investigation could be concluded within a week, or it could take a month, Wurtz said.
The deputy has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, Wurtz said.
