Crime & Safety

Burglary Suspect Dies Following Police Chase

Police say Anthony Stokes, 17, hit a pedestrian before striking a metal pole on Alpharetta Highway at Hembree Road.

The burglary suspect who hit a pedestrian Tuesday afternoon while trying to flee a traffic stop has passed away.

That’s according to Roswell Police Department spokesperson Lisa Holland, who said Anthony Stokes, 17, of Decatur died after crashing a vehicle into a pole on S.R. 9/Alpharetta Highway at Hembree Road.

Officers initially responded to a burglary call on March 31 at a home on Alpine Drive. Holland said a person “kicked in the door to a house” as the homeowner watched television.

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“She believed she heard a gunshot and ran into her bedroom and called 911,” Holland stated.

The suspect fled the scene in a black vehicle, which officers later spotted while on patrol.

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The vehicle’s tag information was processed, and Holland stated the car came back as reportedly stolen from Dunwoody.

Officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Stokes fled in the vehicle, Holland said. The car lost control, hit a car and a pedestrian before slamming into a metal pole at SunTrust Bank, which sits at the corner of S.R. 9 and Hembree Road.

Holland said the pedestrian was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Return to Patch for updates.

Photo credit: Roswell Police Department’s Facebook page

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