A second family member involved in a weekend crash following a police chase in downtown Atlanta has died.
Maria Gispert, 51, died Wednesday at Atlanta Medical Center of injuries sustained in the Saturday morning crash, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner. Gispert’s son, Juan “Tito” Gispert, was killed. He was 28 and survived by a wife and two young sons.
The Gisperts, along with three other family members, had been returning home to Florida after a trip to Michigan when their vehicle was struck by a driver who led Georgia State Patrol troopers on a high-speed chase.
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The chase started after a trooper spotted Kahre Jamal Williams, a felon with a lengthy criminal history, driving the wrong way on Spring Street in a black Dodge Challenger. The trooper tried to stop Williams, who made a U-turn and sped away before getting on the Downtown Connector, according to the GSP.
“The Challenger continued south on Spring Street at a high rate of speed, exiting onto I-75/85 South,” the GSP said in an emailed statement.
The chase ended when Williams hit a silver Nissan Altima and the Gisperts’ red Ford Expedition. He then attempted to run from the crash scene, but was caught, according to police. Two people in the Nissan were injured.
In addition to felony murder, Williams was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, five counts of serious injury, hit-and-run, obstruction, reckless driving, wrong-way driving and failure to obey traffic signs, according to jail records.
Williams was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Saturday. He waived his first appearance hearing Monday morning and was denied bond, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 6.
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