UPDATE: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 6:55 a.m.
Georgia State Patrol has identified the victim of a weekend crash following a chase in Banks County last weekend.
A press release late Tuesday, November 19 lists the female driver of a vehicle that crashed early Saturday morning, November 16 as 17-year old Jalah Claitt of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The release further indicates that their investigation revealed a Kia Optima was fleeing from Banks County Sheriff's Office.
The vehicle cut its lights off and the deputy lost contact with the vehicle. It began to travel southbound in the northbound lanes and lost control. The vehicle ran off the east shoulder and struck a guard rail and several trees. A female was ejected from the vehicle and became deceased. The Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) responded to the scene.
Further details on the chase and crash can be found in the previous report here on AccessWDUN, listed below.
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A person was found dead Saturday in Commerce near the scene of a crashed car that matched the description of an earlier police chase.
The Banks County Sheriff's Office issued a release on social media Monday, saying the vehicle and body were found the afternoon of Saturday, November 16 near the intersection of Ga. 98 and U.S. 129.
Hours earlier, just after 2:00 a.m. that morning, sheriff's deputies had tried to pull over a white Kia matching the same description on Interstate 85 Northbound somewhere between 441 and Ga. 63. The vehicle allegedly fled, turning off the interstate at 63 and continuing down Ga. 59 into Jackson County.
Deputies ultimately lost sight of the car on 441 approaching Ga. 326 in Commerce and a be on the lookout order was issued to surrounding agencies. Hours later, authorities found the wrecked vehicle and a female dead nearby.
No other details about the incident have been released. Local authorities contacted the Georgia State Patrol to investigate the crash.
