COOK COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - On Thursday, Feb. 26, at about 3:15 p.m., a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Trooper reportedly tried to stop a blue Kia Niro for speeding on Old Quitman Road near MJ Taylor Road. The driver refused to comply, prompting the Trooper to pursue the vehicle as it raced southbound on Old Quitman Road, GSP said.

The vehicle sped through farmland, crashing through multiple gates and fences before returning to the roadway repeatedly during the escape attempt, according to a press release from GSP.

Officials said a female front-seat passenger held a small child out of the passenger window multiple times during the high-speed chase.

Cook County deputies and additional GSP Troopers responded to assist in apprehending the fleeing vehicle. Officers made several strategic attempts to deploy stop sticks across the driver’s path, but the driver successfully avoided them each time, the release said.

As the vehicle traveled north on MJ Taylor Road near Interstate 75, a Trooper reportedly executed a successful PIT maneuver to force the vehicle to stop. During the maneuver, the Trooper’s vehicle struck a Cook County deputy’s vehicle that was positioned at the scene.

According to officials, the driver and female passenger were arrested by Cook County deputies upon exiting the vehicle.

The vehicle carried two children who sustained minor injuries during the pursuit. Both children were taken by EMS to Tift Regional Medical Center for evaluation and treatment, GSP said. The male driver also reported injuries at the scene.

The driver, a Florida resident, was determined to be operating the vehicle without a valid driver’s license.

The Trooper has filed pending charges against both the driver and passenger, according to the release.

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