Reports out of a neighboring city dictate that Georgia State Patrol Troopers were led on a chase through Cobb County into the City of Atlanta last week.

Police reported that a driver who was suspected in a string of car robberies caused a series of crashes during rush hour last Tuesday when police attempted to pull him over. The driver caused multiple accidents in his attempt to flee while still in the vehicle. However, he was able to leave the scene on foot and police are still on the lookout.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I handle cases involving DUI and other crimes in Atlanta daily. Most of the time crimes such as fleeing or attempting to elude police go hand in hand with charges of DUI. This is because if a person suspects that he or she may be pulled over or arrested, they make a split-second judgment call and decide to leave the scene.

In today's post, I will outline the offense of eluding the police.

Eluding the Police in Georgia

Eluding Police and DUI Charges in Atlanta do go together, however, the offenses are in two separate laws. O.C.G.A. §40-6-395 defines eluding police as:

It shall be unlawful for any driver of a vehicle willfully to fail or refuse to bring his or her vehicle to a stop or otherwise to flee or attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle or police officer when given a visual or an audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop. The signal given by the police officer may be by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren. The officer giving such signal shall be in uniform prominently displaying his or her badge of office, and his or her vehicle shall be appropriately marked showing it to be an official police vehicle.

A first time conviction of fleeing or attempting to elude police is classified as a high and aggravated misdemeanor. This classification means there are significant punishments associated with the offense including a minimum of ten days in jail.

While crimes such as fleeing or attempting to elude can be charged on their own, they are often charged along with other serious traffic offense such as reckless driving and DUI. Unfortunately, many times a person is fleeing and eluding because they are worried about being charged with DUI. That is why so many fleeing and eluding cases are tied DUI in Atlanta.

Practice Note

This is why Hiring a Lawyer for Atlanta DUI Defense if you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI or fleeing the police in Atlanta is so important. We understand all Atlanta Drunk Driving Defenses and can determine which defenses may be applicable to your case.

Again, if you or a loved one has recently experienced an Atlanta DUI Arrest, contact our offices now. We can help you today.