- Thomasville neighbors ask if high-speed chases are worth it after one woman was killed by Monday's chase.
- The GBI reports the woman was hit by the car driven by the suspect.
- Check out the video above to see what one eye witness has to say about the incident.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Was it worth it? That's the question being asked in the Thomasville community. A chase after a crime suspect ended with a woman losing her life.
"Is the public safer now that a lady died? A citizen, a loved one, someone in our community," said Nathaniel Tyler, President of the Thomas County NAACP.
I'm Kandace Blake your Thomasville neighborhood reporter.
People here say something needs to be done to keep something else like this from happening again.
"It was just awful, because what did they think was going to happen if y'all are chasing people in the middle of lunch hour," said Rhonda Turner who was a witness. "They zoomed by. They didn't stop for no traffic. They didn't stop for any stop signs," said Turner.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Thomas County Sheriff's Office's drug squad was attempting to stop a suspect with outstanding felony warrants. Once that suspect drove away, that's when the chase began.
"These individuals have not robbed a bank, have not murdered anyone. So, we don't see a need to put innocent people lives in jeopardy," said Spencer Wilson Sr., Pastor.
I was heading to another story when I got stuck in the traffic, which I would later find out was a chase that ended in this crash.
The crash ended on Stevens Street just before 11:30 Monday morning. Neighbors say TCSO performed a tactic with their vehicle to stop the suspect. GBI's preliminary report indicate the suspect crashed into another vehicle not involved. Later it was reported the bystander died from the crash.
"It was not worth a life," said Wilson.
Now, neighbors like Spencer Wilson are calling for a change.
"If that involves new leadership, so be it. If the current leadership changes its mind and addresses the problem, I'm fine with that too," said Tyler.
That's something Turner agrees with.
"Somebody's dead. You can go home and eat and kiss y'all loved ones and family members. Somebody else is grieving," said Turner.
Once GBI wraps their investigation - that information will be sent to the district attorney's office to determine what needs to happen next.
