Police: Man crashes car during high-speed chase through Polk County

(Polk County Police Department)

What started as a routine traffic stop for speeding turned into a high-speed police chase in Polk County, officials say.

Polk County police say the chase began Saturday when officers captured a silver Ford Fusion going 102 mph in a 65 mph zone near the intersection of Highway 278 and Yorkville Highway.

When the officers tried to pull the driver over, they say the car sped off toward Rockmart, Georgia.

During the chase, police say the driver got up to speeds of over 120 mph and drove recklessly. The Ford eventually lost control, crashed into the woods near the intersection of Highway 278 and Highway 113, and caught on fire.

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Brian Tinch of Rome, Georgia, was safely removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest.

Officers charged Tinch with speeding, reckless driving, fleeing police, failure to maintain lane, driving without a valid license, giving a false name, and a probation violation out of Floyd County.