Newnan man drives 140 mph on Interstate 85 thinking he was being pulled over

Driver hits 140 mph to escape wrong traffic stop

A Coweta County driver faces felony fleeing charges after allegedly leading a deputy on an Interstate 85 pursuit that topped 140 miles per hour,.

NEWNAN, Ga. - A 21-year-old Newnan man faces felony charges after his guilty conscience allegedly caused him to run from a Coweta County deputy on Interstate 85 last week at speeds topping 140 mph. 

Interstate 85 high-speed chase

What we know:

A Coweta County deputy was running laser detection on Interstate 85 last week when he clocked an SUV traveling at 89 mph. As the deputy prepared to pursue the speeding SUV, a modified Ford Focus suddenly accelerated to extreme speeds. 

The driver of the Ford Focus was weaving wildly through highway traffic. Investigators say the vehicle reached speeds exceeding 140 mph before a deputy successfully executed a pit maneuver to end the pursuit. 

Authorities identified the driver as 21-year-old Erick Jerome Chatman of Newnan. Deputies charged Chatman with reckless driving, felony fleeing and driving on a suspended license. 

Coweta County deputy pursuit

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed the exact timing of Chatman's upcoming court appearances. It remains unclear if the driver of the original speeding SUV was ever identified or pulled over by other law enforcement officers.

Driver draws law enforcement attention

What they're saying:

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office noted that Chatman would have avoided the chase entirely if he had not panicked. 

"Keep in mind, if this driver hadn't sped up and started driving like this, the deputy was going to pull over a different car," the sheriff's office said. 

Deputies emphasized that if Chatman had simply stayed calm, he would have only faced standard traffic citations and a brief holding period rather than severe felony charges.