Decatur Teen Killed Tuesday In Police Chase Received Heart Transplant in 2013

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Photo credit: Roswell Police Department’s Facebook page

A Decatur teenager who was in the national spotlight over a year ago was killed on Tuesday when he crashed his car into a metal pole while trying to elude police in Roswell.

Roswell police told Patch that Anthony Stokes, 17, was suspected of carrying out a burglary at a nearby home earlier that day. The homeowner told police that a man kicked down the door to her house and possibly fired a gunshot, which prompted her to call 911. She told police that the burglar had fled the scene in a black vehicle.

A patrol car spotted the black vehicle and tried to pull it over after they learned that it had been reported stolen from Dunwoody, according to police. Instead of complying, Stokes sped away. During the chase, Stokes lost control of the vehicle and struck a pedestrian before slamming into the pole holding up a SunTrust Bank sign, police said.

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The teenager was cut out of the destroyed vehicle and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds, police told Patch.

Stokes made headlines in 2013 when he was denied a heart transplant because doctors did not believe he would take his anti-rejection medication or go to checkups. After WSB-TV ran a story on Stokes’ situation, he was quickly added to the transplant list. Stokes received his new heart on Aug. 20, 2014, according to CNN.

Police told Patch that the pedestrian struck by Stokes’ car was taken to the hospital. WSB-TV reports that 33-year-old Clementina Hernandez is in good condition at North Fulton Hospital.

Kristal Dixon contributed to this report