Two people are dead and two others are injured after a high-speed chase ended in a crash Thursday morning outside the Atlanta University Center.
None of the four were wearing a seatbelt when their Toyota Camry struck a concrete barrier and a light pole near Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Ja’Marrius A. Rucker, 25, and Nadiyah S. McCants, 18, were killed.
La’Montez D. Winkfield, the 18-year-old driver, and Tyreke M. Brookings, 19, survived the crash and were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. All four were Atlanta residents, according to the GSP.
A trooper spotted the Toyota around 1:30 a.m. as it exited I-20 East onto I-75 South. The vehicle was clocked at more than 100 mph, GSP spokeswoman Franka Young said in a statement.
“The trooper attempted a traffic stop and the driver immediately initiated a pursuit,” she said. “The pursuit traveled through many city streets, as well as I-75.”
The trooper lost sight of the vehicle on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard but found it again after it had crashed. Investigators believe the driver tried to make a left turn from Lowery onto Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard and lost control, Young said.
“There were weapons and illegal narcotics recovered at the scene,” she said.
Young said charges are pending against the survivors. An update on their conditions was not provided Friday.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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