Police Chase Ends In Rollover Crash In Cartersville

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- A routine attempt to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle morphed into a high speed chase that ended in a single-vehicle crash earlier this week in Bartow County. At around 2:25 a.m. Monday, Sept. 3, a deputy patrolling the area of 731 Cassville White Road near Cartersville observed a vehicle drive behind a newly constructed building and retreat from the area.

The deputy tried to read the license plate affixed to the vehicle, but noted it was obscured with something "smeared over the numbers and letters," according to an incident report released by the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.

The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, a maroon 2007 Toyota Corolla, and it appeared the driver was going to pull over at a convenience store. However, the driver, later identified as 27-year-old Cody Scott Jones of Cornelia, sped up and took off from the scene (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

According to the report, the vehicle's speed exceeded 80 miles an hour on a stretch of road zoned for 45 miles per hour. The deputy also said Jones "showed a disregard for the safety" of the passenger and other drivers on the roadway.

"I was informed by dispatch that (the passenger) had called dispatch and told them she was attempting to get out of the vehicle, but Cody would not stop and dispatch relayed that information to me," the deputy added in the report.

The chase continued eastbound on Cassville-White Road towards the city of White, but Jones lost control of the car, which wrecked in a curve near Colonel Way. The Corolla rolled several times and landed on its roof in the wood line on the side of the road.

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Jones and the passenger were both entrapped in the vehicle, which began to smoke. Bartow County fire and EMS crews were dispatched to the scene, and the deputy was able to break the passenger side window to retrieve both Jones and the woman from the smoldering car. The passenger complained of a broken ankle, which appeared to be bruised, "deformed" and discolored, the report added.

Jones was checked and medically cleared by EMS crews, and was charged by deputies with felony probation violation, obstructing license plate to impede surveillance, operating vehicle without valid decal, reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude and speeding in excess of maximum limits.

Jones was transported to the Bartow County Jail where he remains held without bond.

Image via Bartow County Sheriff's Office