FILE - Blue lights shine on a patrol car of the state police. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - The high number of deadly police pursuits across metro Atlanta and North Georgia have previously fueled debate over when officers should chase suspects — and whether stricter rules could save lives.
MOST RECENT: Innocent woman killed after driver loses control during Atlanta chase
What we know:
Since January 2025, at least 11 people have died in police chases across the region, according to reports from local law enforcement agencies. The deaths include suspects, passengers, pedestrians and uninvolved drivers.
The incidents come as national researchers warn that police pursuits are becoming increasingly deadly across the United States.
Federal data cited in recent studies shows roughly one person dies every day in crashes connected to police pursuits. Researchers also found many victims are innocent bystanders, pedestrians or occupants of unrelated vehicles.
Studies show fatalities increasing
What they're saying:
A recent study by the American Medical Association's JAMA Network examining fatal pursuit crashes from 2009 through 2023 found police chase deaths increased about 2% annually nationwide after adjusting for population growth and crash frequency. Researchers said fatal crashes were more common at night, in urban areas and in Southern states.
Another study by the University of Manchester's CrimRxiv focused on New York City found a dramatic increase in pursuits between 2022 and early 2025 corresponded directly with more crashes, while researchers found "no credible evidence" the additional chases reduced violent crime.
The studies are adding momentum to calls for stricter chase policies nationwide.
The Police Executive Research Forum, a national policing think tank, recommended in 2023 that officers avoid pursuits unless suspects are believed to have committed violent crimes or pose an imminent threat to public safety.
Many large police departments across the country, including agencies in Los Angeles and Orlando, have already adopted more restrictive "no-chase" or limited-pursuit policies for nonviolent offenses.
Technology-based alternatives gaining support
Lawmakers in California are now pushing federal legislation aimed at reducing dangerous chases through technology instead of prolonged pursuits.
The proposed "Next Gen Road Safety Act" would help fund tools such as drones, grappler systems that snag tires and vehicle-disabling technology. Supporters say the goal is to allow officers to track suspects without forcing high-speed pursuits through populated areas.
Researchers studying police pursuits have also recommended expanding non-pursuit alternatives and requiring mandatory national reporting standards for chase-related crashes and deaths.
Metro Atlanta and North Georgia
What we know:
So far, Georgia has not announced major statewide pursuit restrictions similar to some other states. However, several metro Atlanta agencies continue reviewing pursuit procedures following deadly crashes and public scrutiny.
Fatal police chases in metro Atlanta and North Georgia since January 2025
- April 7, 2025 — Richard O. Wells Jr., 26, was killed in Buckhead after police said a robbery suspect fleeing officers ran a red light at Peachtree and Piedmont roads and slammed into Wells’ vehicle. STORY
- April 14, 2025 — Cooper Schoenke, 19, died in Little Five Points when authorities said a driver fleeing the Georgia State Patrol ran a red light and crashed into Schoenke’s car. STORY
- July 24, 2025 — Benjamin Alstoft, 40, died on Interstate 75 in Bartow County after a Cobb County police chase ended with a PIT maneuver and crash. STORY
- July 25, 2025 — A 16-year-old driver died in Newton County after police said the teen fled from a checkpoint in Covington and crashed on Georgia Highway 81. STORY
- Aug. 17, 2025 — Matthew Benton and another occupant were killed in Clayton County after authorities said a College Park police sergeant chased a Land Rover at speeds topping 100 mph before the SUV crashed into a tree along Interstate 285. STORY
- Nov. 3, 2025 — Moshe Ben Y. Israel Williams, 44, died near Interstate 75/85 and Ga. 166 after Clayton County deputies used a PIT maneuver during a chase. Police said Williams ran onto the interstate and was struck by a vehicle. STORY
- Dec. 30, 2025 — Brent Elvin Ivy, 39, died in Gwinnett County after a police pursuit ended in a crash. Authorities said Ivy then ran from the wreck, pulled a gun and was fatally shot by officers. STORY
- Feb. 12, 2026 — Terry Loman, 59, was killed in DeKalb County when police said a driver fleeing officers after a traffic stop struck him. The original stop was reportedly for window tint and a tag-cover violation. STORY
- April 16, 2026 — Antionette Catchings, 56, died in DeKalb County after police said a suspect driving a stolen car crashed into a tree during a pursuit. A teenage bystander was also injured. STORY
- April 24, 2026 — An unidentified passenger died in southeast Atlanta after police chased a sedan connected to car break-ins. The vehicle hit a utility pole, split apart and burst into flames. STORY
- May 25, 2026 — Chatanna Ohiyesha Patterson, 51, was killed in Atlanta after a driver fleeing the Georgia State Patrol lost control off Interstate 20 and crashed into a gas station parking lot, striking Patterson. STORY
Other parts of the state
Outside metro Atlanta and North Georgia, several other deadly police pursuits have been reported across middle and south Georgia since 2025, underscoring how widespread the issue has become statewide.
One of the deadliest recent cases happened April 24, 2026, in Chatham County near Savannah, where two people were killed after deputies attempted to stop a Chevrolet Trailblazer that fled and later slammed into another vehicle at an intersection. Georgia State Patrol said the fleeing SUV ran a red light before crashing into a Nissan Juke occupied by a Lyft driver and passenger. Three people in the fleeing vehicle were later taken into custody. STORY
In another south Georgia case, a person was killed in November 2025 after a Georgia State Patrol chase on Highway 204 near Savannah ended in a fatal crash. STORY
A separate pursuit in Coffee County during September 2025 also turned deadly after deputies attempted a traffic stop and later found the suspect vehicle had crashed. One person died and another was hospitalized. STORY
EDITOR'S NOTE: Georgia does not maintain a centralized public database tracking police pursuit deaths, and fatalities are often categorized differently depending on whether victims are suspects, passengers, bystanders or pedestrians. There may be police chase fatalities in the state that were not listed above.
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATION INTO FATAL POLICE CRASHES
Dig deeper:
An investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found Georgia has one of the nation’s highest rates of fatal police pursuits relative to population, with the Georgia State Patrol playing a major role in many of the deadly crashes.
According to the newspaper’s review of Georgia State Patrol data from 2019 through 2023, troopers were involved in more than 6,700 pursuits statewide during that five-year span. More than half ended in crashes. At least 63 people were killed and nearly 1,900 others were injured.
The AJC reported that Georgia State Patrol policies give troopers broad discretion to initiate pursuits, including for relatively minor offenses such as speeding, suspended licenses or equipment violations like broken taillights.
The newspaper also found troopers used PIT maneuvers — a tactic designed to spin out fleeing vehicles — more than 2,000 times during that period, resulting in at least 19 deaths.
The AJC analyzed federal pursuit fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covering 2018 through 2022 and found Georgia recorded 201 pursuit-related deaths during those five years, more than any other state when adjusted for population.
The investigation also compared pursuit policies from 44 state law enforcement agencies nationwide and concluded Georgia State Patrol’s policy was among the most permissive reviewed. Unlike many other agencies that limit pursuits to violent felonies or immediate public threats, the AJC found Georgia troopers often retain significant authority to decide whether a chase should continue.
Atlanta city leaders have already attempted to tighten pursuit restrictions within the city following multiple bystander deaths. Atlanta’s policy changes limited many pursuits to violent felony cases, required supervisor approval and restricted PIT maneuvers in dense urban areas. However, Georgia State Patrol troopers are reportedly not bound by Atlanta’s local pursuit rules when operating inside the city.