Car Chase in Cartersville Ends with Drug Charges

A passenger and the driver of a Dodge Intrepid that fled from Cartersville police Wednesday morning were arrested on drug charges after a chase during which police say the driver ran numerous stop signs, drove in the left lane and passed other cars in no passing areas.

A Cartersville police officer spotted the car near the intersection of Tennessee Street and Felton Road. He saw the female passenger appeared to be crying. A check of the car showed the registration was cancelled, so a traffic stop was attempted on Felton Road near the railroad tracks. However, the police incident report says the vehicle continued over the tracks and accelerated. The driver sped up to 65-72 mph in the wrong lane of Felton Road, and ran a stop sign at Jones Mill Road, passing other cars in a no passing zone. The car accelerated again on Grassdale Road after running that stop sign, and drove through  the gas station parking lot at Grassdale and Cassville roads. After running another stop sign, police say the car drove down the wrong side of the road again before turning into Hannon Way.  A quick turn onto Fredda Lane and then the car stopped in a driveway.

While searching the car, the officer said he found a small yellow box in the center of the damaged headliner near the sunroof. He said marijuana and 11 pills that appeared to be Xanax were inside the box.

Christina Maria Clardy, 24, of Mac Thompson Road, Cartersville, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a schedule 4 narcotic, failure to keep prescription drugs in their original container and a probation violation.

Christopher Blackmon, identified as the driver by police, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a schedule 4 narcotic, failure to keep prescription drugs in their original container, cancelled registration, fleeing and attempted to elude LEO, driving on wrong side of roadway, failure to maintain lane, failure to stop for stop sign, reckless driving, suspended license and passing in a no passing zone.

For questions about this blotter, email Brande Poulnot.