Crime & Safety
Gwinnett Dad Led 100 MPH Police Chase On I-85 N With Son In Car: Cops
Police say the Lawrenceville man's 2-year-old son was in the car when he embarked on a high-speed police chase that ended in Duluth.
DULUTH, GA — A Lawrenceville man is accused of leading a high-speed police chase on Interstate 85 north with his 2-year-old son in the car, according to Gwinnett County Police and an incident report obtained by Patch.
The chase occurred around 1 a.m., June 14, on I-85 near Indian Trail Lilburn Road and ended in an Acacia Court neighborhood, according to police and video footage obtained by Patch. The bodycam and aerial footage spans 1 minute and 33 seconds.
A task force officer was on a five-day detail when they encountered 21-year-old Alessio Vaduva driving a black BMW about 100 mph on I-85, according to police and the incident report.
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When the officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on the BMW, Vaduva fled the scene and began driving at least 120 mph, according to police and the incident report. The BMW was swerving in and out of traffic, according to the report.
The police department's Aviation Unit then began tracking the BMW as it exited onto Pleasant Hill Road with its lights turned off, police said.
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The BMW almost crashed into a patrol vehicle after running a red light, according to the incident report. Vaduva was accused of driving 110 mph in a 45 mph zone near Pleasant Hill, then 90 mph in a 45 mph zone near Buford Highway.
During the chase, Vaduva was accused of hitting and shifting a concrete manhole.
The BMW was ultimately tracked to a residential Acacia Court neighborhood, and police said Vaduva fled the scene with his son.
An Uber driver arrived to Acacia to take a customer to the hospital, police said. When officers eventually spotted Vaduva, he had cuts on his legs, according to the incident report.
Vaduva was detained and charged on suspicion of fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, driving without headlights, defective tires, operating unsafe vehicle, failure to obey traffic control device, child restraint violation and duty upon striking fixture, police said. He was taken to the Gwinnett County Jail, police said.
The child was released to a family member and was not injured, police said.
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