Two men were arrested on multiple charges after fleeing from a Morgan County Sheriff’s Office deputy who had attempted to initiate a traffic stop for speeding.
Jakobian T. Hart, 23, of Warrenton faces charges of driving without a valid license, speeding in excess of maximum state limits, attempting to elude a police officer, possession of marijuana, open container, hit and run and obstruction of law enforcement in the wake of the incident. Cortavious D. Reese, 24, of Norwood is being charged with possession of marijuana and obstruction.
According to reports, Deputy Carl Lee Kitchens clocked a black Ford F-150 traveling at 78 mph in a 55-mph zone northbound on Athens Highway. Kitchens activated his emergency lights to make the traffic stop, but the truck did not slow down.
The F-150 turned right on Sandy Creek Road eastbound in an effort to elude Kitchens and accelerated to speeds in excess of 100 mph, and Kitchens notified dispatch that he was involved in a pursuit.
When the paved portion of Sandy Creek Road ended, the driver lost control and crashed through a fence at 1791 Sandy Creek Road, damaging three separate parts of the fence.
The F-150’s back passenger tire was disabled in the crash, and the driver and passenger both bailed out and fled on foot.
According to the report, both men jumped a small fence with barbed wire at the top of it, and Kitchens did the same as he pursued them.
Kitchens said he yelled for both of the offenders to show him their hands and for them to stop several times, but they continued to flee.
Kitchens notified dispatch of the pursuit and pursued the two men about a mile and a half before he lost sight of them behind a residence.
A Georgia State Patrol unit was sent to the location to work the motor vehicle crash, and a Monroe Police Department K-9 unit was dispatched to assist in tracking the two men who fled.
The K-9 officer decided not to deploy the dog due to the scene being contaminated by pursuing deputies.
Kitchens returned to the F-150 and conducted a search to see if he could find anything to identify the driver. While checking the vehicle, he found a clear plastic bag in the pocket of the driver’s side door containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana according to the report.
Kitchens then went back to the Morgan County Sheriff`s Office to place the suspected marijuana into evidence.
As he was turning into the parking lot, dispatch advised him that a 911 caller had called in two suspicious Black males wearing the exact same clothing as the men involved in the pursuit walking north on Athens Highway from the direction of the crash, according to the report.
Kitchens immediately returned to the scene.
A few minutes later, GSP Trooper Cervando Luviano advised he had both subjects in custody on Athens Highway near Plantation Road.
Kitchens questioned the suspects about where they were coming from and said their answers made little sense.
Both men were taken to the Morgan County jail.
Kitchens said he went back into the jail and first spoke with Hart, who said two girls had dropped him off at the interstate and he had walked there.
Kitchens said, as he continued to question Hart about the incident and the chase, Hart decided he didn’t want to talk anymore, and the questioning came to an end.
Reese declined to speak with Kitchens about the incident.