Chase turns deadly in rural Georgia when fleeing suspect crashes into stopped car, killing woman

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A 61-year-old woman died after a driver being chased by sheriff’s deputies lost control and slammed into her car at a stop sign in rural south Georgia, authorities said.

Jennifer Ferrell was stopped at an intersection near downtown Thomasville when the fleeing vehicle struck her car with enough force to flip it upside down. Ferrell died hours later after she was taken to a hospital, Thomas County Coroner Don Shiver told WALB-TV.

A spokesman for Ferrell’s family, Spencer Wilson Sr., and Thomas County NAACP President Nathaniel Tyler both questioned whether Thomas County deputies should have initiated the chase that ended in the death of a bystander.

“These individuals have not robbed a bank, have not murdered anyone, and so we don’t see a need to put innocent people’s lives in jeopardy,” Wilson said.

The chase began when deputies from the sheriff’s Narcotics Unit tried to pull over a car because they suspected the driver had outstanding felony warrants, Sgt. 1st Class John Vanlandingham of the Georgia State Patrol told the Thomasville Times-Enterprise.

He said investigators had not determined how fast the vehicle being chased was moving when it crashed into Ferrell’s car. He said the fleeing driver was arrested after the crash.