Alleged Shooting Suspect Hits and Kills Uninvolved Motorist
On Tuesday, police responded to a crash at the intersection of Liberty Parkway and Upson after a silver Jeep Compass fleeing a Savannah Police Department (SPD) vehicle collided with a maroon Chevrolet Malibu. According to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the driver of the Malibu was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Jeep driver was taken into custody by the SPD. The collision prompted a significant law enforcement presence and a temporary closure of the roadway.
The SPD was chasing the Jeep driver in connection with a shooting that injured five people at the Westlake Apartments, based on surveillance footage. Authorities said the footage captured three armed individuals, one actively shooting while taking cover behind a building in Westlake. Another video allegedly showed the same three individuals meeting a fourth person before entering a silver Jeep Compass and fleeing the scene.
An SPD officer stated that the pursuit was conducted in accordance with departmental policy, citing the involvement of the silver Compass in the mass shooting of five people and the need to apprehend a potentially dangerous individual outweighing the heavy traffic conditions on Ogeechee Road.
A spokesperson from the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office claims to have confirmed that the arrested driver is a suspect in the Westlake Apartment shootings. However, a Chatham County Police Department spokesperson contends that the driver is not a suspect nor a person of interest in the shootings.
According to his arrest report, the driver is charged with homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death, DUI, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, reckless driving, too fast for conditions, failure to maintain lane, and driving on the wrong side of a roadway.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, the compassionate and experienced car accident lawyers at Kicklighter Law can help. Call us at 912-754-6003 or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation.
Located in Springfield, Georgia, we serve clients in Effingham County, Savannah, and the surrounding areas.