Two men died in a car accident Thursday night following a report of a stolen car and a high speed chase on Interstate 75 in Catoosa County.
About 11:30 p.m., the Georgia State Patrol was notified by Ringgold Police and the Catoosa County Sheriffs Office about a stolen vehicle.
A Tennessee man in his mid-40s had reportedly stolen a 2005 Ford Mustang from the Circle K on Battlefield Parkway and I-75. Police and deputies spotted a Mustang at Battlefield Parkway and Smitherman Road and tried to pull the driver over. That's when the high speed chase started.
The man sped off on I-75 driving north and reached speeds of over 100 mph near mile marker 343 in the left lane, authorities say.
As the driver was going over 100 mph, he changed lanes and struck a Dodge Ram pickup that was driving in the middle lane that was driven by an 85-year-old man from Butler, Georgia. The Mustang hit the Dodge Ram in the rear and caused the pickup to veer left and careen across the median, into the southbound lanes of I-75, police said.
The pickup rolled over three and half times before coming to a rest on its right side. The 85-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Mustang ejected from the vehicle while not wearing a seat belt. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Cpl. Scotty Smith with the Georgia State Patrol said the Catoosa County coroner is in the process of notifying the next of kin for the deceased.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.