On Wednesday, September 21, 2022, Atlanta Police Department Dispatch received a call concerning a reckless driver on East Main Street with the caller reporting that the vehicle was making multiple U-turns in the roadway and then sitting in the roadway with the hazard lights flashing. The caller reported that this had been happening for several minutes prior to reporting it to the police.
Atlanta Police Department Officer Marty Spriggs located the vehicle on East Main Street and attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle refused to stop for Officer Spriggs at which time a vehicle pursuit was initiated. Atlanta Police Department Captain Greg Restelle and Detective Sergeant Jeb Newkirk joined in the pursuit as it turned north on N. William Street and continued northbound onto Holly Street towards the Atlanta High School. The vehicle then turned onto SportsPlex Drive and into the parking lot of Eastwood Apartments where the vehicle struck another vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The driver of the vehicle refused to exit the vehicle at which time the vehicle backed into an Atlanta Police Department patrol unit and again into the same parked vehicle all while officers were attempting to remove the driver from the vehicle. This resulted in an Atlanta Officer being injured. The vehicle then accelerated towards another Officer in attempt to strike that Officer before continuing back onto Holly Street towards East Main Street.
The vehicle accelerated to a high rate of speed through Atlanta almost striking multiple vehicles and running vehicles off the road until it reached Loop 59. The vehicle continued to drive at a high rate of speed north on Loop 59 through the intersection at Emma Lena Way and continued into Queen City. The Atlanta Police Department would like to thank the Queen City Police Department for their assistance with shutting down the intersections in their city so that the pursuit could safely get through their city and for covering the City of Atlanta for calls while the Atlanta PD units were involved in the pursuit.
Officers learned that the vehicle had been stolen earlier in the day out of Texarkana, Texas. The pursuit continued north on US Highway 59 at a very high rate of speed into Bowie County. “Spike strips” were deployed on the vehicle once in Bowie County. The vehicle continued to travel north on US Highway 59, including on the wrong side of the highway and into oncoming traffic. “Spike strips” were deployed again on the vehicle as the pursuit crossed over onto S. Lake Drive.
The vehicle then began to swerve from one side of the roadway to the other until it ultimately crashed out into multiple vehicles that were parked in a parking lot in the 2500 block of S. Lake Drive. The pursuit also resulted in a Bowie County Sheriff’s Office being wrecked during the pursuit. The Atlanta Police Department is extremely grateful that the Deputy driving that vehicle was not seriously injured as a result of that crash.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Ashley Nicole Winston, 30, of Texarkana was transported by LifeNet EMS to Wadley Hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crash and then booked into the Bi-State Justice Facility on one count of Evading Arrest or Detention with a Vehicle. Numerous other charges against Ms. Winston are pending.
The Atlanta Police Department would like to thank Queen City Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Highway Patrol for their assistance with bringing this pursuit to as safe of an end as possible.
The Atlanta Police Department wishes the injured Atlanta Police Department Officer, Bowie County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, and Ms. Winston a speedy and complete healing of their injuries sustained as a result of the pursuit.
