(Blairsville)- The Georgia State Patrol has identified the driver killed in a wreck during a police chase in White County Saturday as 37-year-old Rhyan Coley Davis of Gainsville. Troopers say Davis struck another vehicle head-on during the chase on State Route 17 north of Helen. The wreck seriously injured the other driver.
According to GSP, the incident began when Trooper First Class Matheson attempted to conduct a traffic stop on two vehicles for speeding on State Route 348 near Lone Piper Road in Union County.
“As TFC Matheson attempted to catch up to the two vehicles with his emergency lights and sirens activated, both vehicles failed to stop resulting in a pursuit,” says Sgt. B.D. Taylor of Patrol Post 27 in Blue Ridge.
Davis was driving a 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer. The other vehicle was a 2015 Dodge Challenger. Both vehicles fled southeast on SR 348 into White County, according to Taylor. When they reached SR 75 Alt, both vehicles turned northbound. At the intersection of Highway 75 Alt and Highway 17, the Dodge Challenger turned south and the Mitsubishi Lancer turned north.
“TFC Matheson continued pursuing the Mitsubishi Lancer northbound on State Route 17. As the vehicle attempted to negotiate a curve to the right at a very high rate of speed, it crossed the centerline and struck another vehicle, a Nissan Murano SUV, head-on,” says Taylor.
The Mitsubishi came to a final rest over the guardrail at the bottom of the embankment. The Murano came to a final rest in the roadway and was lightly struck by a third vehicle on the passenger side door area.
The crash fatally injured Davis. He died at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainsville. The other driver, identified as 65-year-old James Richardson, of Colbert, was transported to NEGMC in serious but stable condition.
While troopers were working that accident scene, Helen Police notified them the Dodge Challenger that was fleeing had crashed in the city of Helen. The driver has been identified as 23-year-old Qayyim Yah Yah Ali of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Troopers charged him with 32 counts including felony murder. Charges are pending against him in both Union and White counties. In addition to murder, he’s charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle, DUI, street racing, fleeing, reckless driving, reckless stunt driving, aggressive driving, speeding, and numerous other traffic violations.
“The Georgia State Patrol will not tolerate street racing in the city of Atlanta, nor do we tolerate it in the northeast Georgia Mountains,” Sgt. Taylor says. “This has become an obvious problem over the years in the city and I hope this would be a lesson and realization for others who participate in such crime. Violators will be held accountable for their actions to the full extent of the law.”
Ali is currently being held in the Union County Detention Center without bond.
(Now Habersham assisted with this report)
