Authorities are looking for a Watkinsville man who fled from a Morgan County deputy and crashed into the trees off Athens Highway on Sept. 26.
Warrants have been obtained for the arrest of Jereius Marksey Hawkins, 29, on charges of speeding, failure to notify the owner of striking a fixture, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug-related objects, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to reports, Deputy Cameron Pound was conducting traffic enforcement in the area when he clocked a white sedan traveling in the opposite direction at 82 mph. Pound attempted to turn around and pursue the vehicle, but the vehicle accelerated and began to pull away.
At the intersection of Sandy Creek Road and Athens Highway, Pound found a badly damaged white sedan in the bushes and wedged between some trees with its tail lights blinking. The vehicle was still running but no one was inside or around it, according to the report.
Dispatch ran a check and discovered that the registered owner was a Watkinsville woman, but authorities were unable to contact the owner.
Pound said he detected the odor of marijuana when he approached and later found multiple bags inside a backpack.
The marijuana weighed approximately 2 oz. Pill bottles inside the sedan had the name Jereius Marksey Hawkins on them, and it was learned that he shared an address with the registered owner.
Pound found a 9mm pistol with three magazines each containing 11 rounds and two additional boxes of ammunition containing a total of 70 rounds. In addition, he found a scale with green residue on it.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office then learned that Hawkins was on parole. His parole officer was notified via voicemail.
The search for Hawkins included personnel from the Madison Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol, but he was not found near the scene.