Police Chase Of McLaren With Accused Drunk Driver Reaches 155 MPH

ALPHARETTA, GA -- An Atlanta man has been charged with driving under the influence after Alpharetta police clocked him driving along Ga. 400 at speeds more than double the posted limit. An officer was traveling southbound on the highway near Mansell Road around 3 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 when a 2018 white McLaren 720s approached the marked patrol car from behind and blew past the cop with speeds "well above" the 65 miles per hour posted limit, according to an Alpharetta Department of Public Safety incident report.

The officer paced the vehicle as it passed the Mansell Road exit ramp, and determined it to be traveling 105 miles per hour. The McLaren's speed was confirmed using the officer's radar, which indicated the car was clocked at 109 and increased to 115 mph.

After activating the patrol car's emergency equipment, the officer tried to pull over the car, which failed to maintain its lane of travel and would "straddle the boundary line that divided two lanes of travel," according to the incident report.

"The vehicle was also changing lanes without using a turn signal and weaving in and out of the traffic that it was passing," the officer continued. "I checked the vehicle's speed again with my RADAR device and the device read 155 mph. I reached a speed of 143 mph in my patrol vehicle and the vehicle was still pulling away from me."

The McLaren varied its speed from 115 to 155 mph, braked abruptly several times, but never came to a stop as it bolted southbound through Roswell and into Sandy Springs. As the car passed the Northridge Road interchange, the McLaren came to an abrupt stop, decelerating from 150 to 0 miles per hour "in a matter of several seconds."

The car, which was bearing a temporary tag, was driven by Dwayne Sherwood Pope, 46, who was asked why he didn't pull over for the officer. Pope, according to the report, told the officer he didn't see the blue lights or hear the siren.

"He stated that he pulled over when he saw me behind him, which was approximately 5 miles after I initiated my emergency equipment," the officer said.

The officer said Pope's eyes were watery, glassy and bloodshot and he gave a blank stare. He also had an odor of alcohol emitting from his breath. Pope was asked if he'd been drinking and said he had three drinks, the report states.

The driver agreed to undergo a field sobriety test and the officer determined he "exhibited clues" that he was under the influence of alcohol. Pope was transported to the Alpharetta Jail for a breathalyzer.

"Once at the jail, he began asking what the point of taking the breath test was," according to the report. "I read him the implied consent notice again and he stated, 'I already lost anyway' and then refused the breath test."

Pope was charged with speeding, DUI less safe, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and driving with an expired tag.

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