Driver Leads Cops On Chase Inside Alpharetta Apartment Complex

ALPHARETTA, GA -- What started out as an attempt to make a routine traffic stop morphed into a pursuit of a driver who Alpharetta police say posed a dangerous risk to other motorists on the road.

Alpharetta officers attempted to pull over a van driving "erratically and dangerously" Thursday evening near The Lex Apartments on Lexington Farm Drive. The driver failed to pull over, and the chase continued into the apartment complex where the suspect used his access card to open the gate, the Alpharetta Department of Public safety said on its Facebook page.

The man continued to elude police, and crashed into a patrol car before eventually coming to a stop (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

"The suspect said he was trying to make it to his house," the police department added.

The driver, identified as 38-year-old Ely Gomes Araujo of Alpharetta, is charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer, fleeing and eluding police, DUI alcohol less safe, reckless driving, obstruction, traffic light violation, passing in a no passing zone, driving on the wrong side of a roadway and failure to maintain lane, Fulton County Jail records show.

Alpharetta Department of Public Safety spokesperson George Gordon said Araujo also has an active warrant out for his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can watch the clip of the chase below.

Image via Alpharetta Department of Public Safety