Monday, April 2, 2024–3:12 p.m.
-Staff reports-
Update from the Georgia State Patrol:
The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado who died after fleeing law enforcement has been identified as 16-year-old Jonathan McEvers from LaFayette.
The driver of the Hyundai Genesis G70 has been identified as 33-year-old Michael Stout from Ohio.
Previously reported:
A man who fled from police was killed when his vehicle crashed on I-75 near Adairsville Monday morning.
According to the Georgia State Patrol:
At 5:55 am, Georgia State Patrol troopers from Post 3 in Cartersville and Post 43 Calhoun responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 South at mile marker 304, in Bartow County.
The investigation determined Officers from the Calhoun Police Department and Deputies from the Gordon County Sheriff’s Officer were in pursuit of a white Chevrolet Silverado that originated near mile marker 310. As the Chevrolet Silverado approached mile marker 304, the fleeing driver moved to the right and made contact with the Calhoun Police Department patrol car.
After this impact, the driver of the Chevrolet Silverado lost control, left the roadway, and struck the guardrail where the pickup truck overturned and struck a Buick SUV traveling north on Interstate 75. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado was ejected during the rollover and was ultimately struck by the Buick SUV shortly after the Buick was struck by the overturning pickup truck.
The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the Buick SUV was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital by helicopter with serious injuries.
A secondary crash occurred due to this crash. A Toyota Corolla and a Hyundai Genesis G70 were traveling north on Interstate 75, and both drivers took evasive action to avoid the initial crash.
The Toyota traveled off the roadway where it overturned and was struck by the Hyundai.
The driver of the Hyundai Genesis was pronounced deceased on scene, and the driver of the Toyota Corolla suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The names of the deceased have not been released at the time of this report. The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is continuing to assist with the crash investigation.
Calhoun Police released the following information:
At around 5:45 a.m., Calhoun Police Department units were dispatched to Racetrack convenience store about a suspicious person driving a possible stolen vehicle. When units arrived they tried to stop the vehicle, which fled from the units.
The vehicle traveled east on Highway 53 to Calhoun bypass then made a right turn and headed back west toward I-75. The suspect vehicle turned south onto I-75 and reached a speed of over 90 miles per hour.
The officers were waiting for the Georgia State Patrol or county officers to assist with the fleeing vehicle when the offender’s vehicle swerved into one of the patrol units. The suspect lost control of the vehicle, which came to an uncontrolled stop on the northbound lanes of I-75. The suspect was ejected from the vehicle and died.
The suspect’s vehicle struck another oncoming vehicle and caused one serious injury which was Life Flighted out.
Another two-vehicle accident occurred during the incident and resulted in a fatality.
Georgia State Patrol is investigating these accidents.
According to Chief Tony Pyle, “No further information is being released by the Calhoun Police at this time, pending the
completion of the accident investigation.
