(Cleveland)- A 54-year-old Chatsworth man remains hospitalized and faces charges following an incident Monday night that included a high-speed chase that began in White County.
White County Sheriff Rick Kelley said the incident began in Cleveland around 9:15 PM when a deputy attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was failing to maintain the lane of travel and driving erratically on Georgia Highway 115 west at Jess Hunt Road.
According to Kelley, the vehicle failed to stop and turned onto North Ave. The vehicle continued back to Ga. Hwy. 115 w and began traveling west. The vehicle stopped at Redbud Drive and the driver put the vehicle in reverse and struck the front of the White County Patrol vehicle. The Deputy began backing his vehicle to avoid another impact from the suspect vehicle, causing the suspect vehicle to leave the roadway.
The suspect vehicle then returned to the roadway and continued westbound toward Lumpkin County at a high rate of speed. After entering into Lumpkin County, the suspect vehicle struck a Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office vehicle at a high rate of speed.
The suspect vehicle became disabled and the driver jumped out of the vehicle. Kelley said they then utilized several K-9s from White and other counties as well as a White County Public Safety drone to locate the suspect identified as Jody Shea with a last known address of Chatsworth.
Sheriff Kelley said due to his injuries Shea was transported to the hospital by the Lumpkin County Emergency Medical Service.
The White and Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Offices and the Georgia State Patrol assisted in the incident. The driver faces felony and numerous traffic charges including drug charges in White and Lumpkin Counties and charges by the Georgia State Patrol.
The investigation continues by both White and Lumpkin County authorities.
