A Dawson County man has been sentenced to prison time for his actions during a high-speed chase with Georgia State Patrol troopers in 2018.
According to a statement from Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh, Benjamin Ray Holtzclaw, 40, of Dawsonville, was convicted Wednesday morning by a Hall County Superior Court jury for aggravated assault on a public safety officer, and fleeing and attempting to elude, both felony offenses. Holtzclaw also was found guilty on misdemeanor charges of aggressive driving, speeding, no proof of insurance and no tag.
The chase occurred in northern Hall County on November 18, 2018. Holtzclaw, who was driving a 1996 Lincoln Town Car, reached speeds of over 90 miles per hour along Elrod Road.
"As officers with the Georgia State Patrol attempted to stop him, he rammed a vehicle driven by Trooper Jimmy James, resulting in the aggravated assault charge and conviction," Darragh said in his email statement. "Sergeant Major Patterson of the Georgia State Patrol testified at trial that this was the most aggressive and dangerous violator he had ever seen in the 22 chases he had been involved with."
The jury deliberated for about a half-hour before convicting Holtzclaw on all counts. Superior Court Judge Clint Bearden sentenced Holtzclaw to a total sentence of 20 years with 10 years to be served in prison, along with mandatory fines and special conditions of probation.
The case was prosecuted by ADA Elliot Stone. Attorney James Rogers of Athens represented Holtzclaw.
