A Georgia State Patrol trooper was seriously injured during a chase in Catoosa County last week when he attempted to apprehend the driver of a fleeing vehicle by sideswiping it into a spin.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety confirmed by phone Monday that Trooper Scott Parker saw a white SUV around 1 a.m. Thursday speeding in the northbound lane of I-75 near the Ringgold exit.
Parker attempted to pull over the driver, but the unidentified person allegedly sped up to get away, at which point Parker attempted to perform a PIT manuever, also known as the precision immobilization technique.
PIT maneuvers usually involve a pursuing officer using his or her cruiser to push the fleeing vehicle’s rear end sideways with the nose of the cruiser, sending the suspect’s vehicle into a spin and ultimately bringing it to a stop. In this case, the fleeing suspect responded by swerving into Parker’s patrol car.