June 30, 2025 – ADAIRSVILLE, GA — A high-speed police pursuit ended in tragedy Sunday night when a suspect fleeing law enforcement crashed on I-75 North in Adairsville, resulting in his death.
According to preliminary findings released by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the crash occurred near mile marker 306 around 8:02 p.m. on June 29. GSP is handling the crash investigation, though no troopers or Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers were involved in the pursuit itself.
The incident began when officers with the Emerson Police Department initiated a northbound chase in Bartow County involving a suspect wanted for a hit-and-run in Cherokee County. The vehicle in question was identified as a Mercedes-Benz passenger car.
As the chase approached mile marker 297, an Emerson officer attempted a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver, but it was unsuccessful. The pursuit continued for several more miles.
Near mile marker 306, the suspect made a dangerous lane change from the far-left lane to the far-right lane, colliding with the rear of a Nissan Sentra. The impact caused the Mercedes to veer off the roadway and flip multiple times. The Nissan, after being struck, lost control and slammed into the center median guardrail.
The driver of the Mercedes was airlifted to Kennestone Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The driver of the Nissan reported no injuries at the scene.
GSP’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team from Troop A is leading the ongoing investigation into the crash.
