Suspect Rolls Vehicle Into Ditch During Police Chase

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- An officer's attempt to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle with a suspected cracked windshield morphed into a lengthy police chase Tuesday afternoon in Bartow County.

The officer with the Cartersville Police Department attempted to pull over a 2000 black Ford Mustang around 12:20 p.m. Dec. 20 along Cassville Road near its intersection with Parr Wade Road.

According to an incident report released by the agency, the vehicle had a "spider webbed crack" on the front windshield that obstructed the driver's view.

The officer tried to initiated a traffic stop, but the motorist, later identified as Christopher Alton Bennett, "pressed the gas pedal and took off through the parking lot of the gas station and continued north on Cassville Road," the report states.

The pursuit continued on Cassville Road where Bennett allegedly swerved out his lane and crossed double yellow solid lines to pass multiple vehicles on the roadway.

The chase continued on Cassville Road through Iron Belt Road, Burnt Hickory Road, Bearden Road -- where the officer said Bennett nearly collided with a vehicle -- and U.S. 41/Joe Frank Harris Parkway.

While crossing that intersection, Bennett and the Mustang "swerved into the oncoming traffic's yield lane," the report notes.

The pursuit continued along Cassville Road, and Bennett turned right onto Cass-White Road and made a left on Brown Loop where "he continued to drive all over the roadway."

He ran the stop sign at the intersection of Brown and Carson loops, turn left onto Carson Loop, made a U-turn in the Budgetel parking lot and turned left back on to Brown Loop.

The Mustang then made a left turn onto Brown Loop Spur where the vehicle rolled into a ditch. Bennett hopped out of the car and fled on foot. The officer followed, giving verbal commands for Bennett to stop running. He continued to chase Bennett, but fell and sprained his left ankle.

The 23-year-old Cartersville resident was eventually located by other agencies and placed under arrest. A search of Bennett resulted in a small plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine residue, a small straw containing an unknown residue and a small piece of glass covered in an unknown residue.

Bennett was charged with possession of methamphetamine, windshield violation, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to maintain lane, improper lane change, battery, possession of meth by ingestion, driving under the influence of drugs, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, obstruction, possession of drug related objects, driving while his license was suspended, probation violation and habitual violator.

He was transported to the Bartow County Jail where he's being held without bond.

Photo: Christopher Alton Bennett. Credit: Bartow County Jail