GBI launches probe after Athens man crashes SUV in Madison County

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe began Monday into a Sunday morning incident that started with a routine traffic stop and ended in a multi-county vehicle crash.

The sequence began around 10:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Oakmont Court in Clark County. An Athens-Clarke County Police Department officer stopped a black SUV to arrest 33-year-old Derrell Dukes of Athens. Dukes faced multiple outstanding warrants. A Winterville Police Department officer arrived seconds later to assist with the stop.

According to the GBI, 28-year-old passenger Peyton Ragland of Summerville exited the rear seat immediately. Officers instructed Dukes to step out of the driver’s seat. Dukes opened the door, closed it quickly, and accelerated away with another woman remaining in the front passenger seat.

As Dukes sped off, an officer fired one shot at the moving SUV. No one was injured by the gunfire. The vehicle led pursuing officers into Madison County before Dukes crashed the SUV in the 3000 block of Spratlin Mill Road. Dukes and the female passenger sustained minor injuries in the collision. Paramedics transported both to a nearby hospital for treatment and release.

Deputies from the Clarke County Jail booked both Dukes and Ragland on their prior arrest warrants. State authorities confirmed that these warrants are unrelated to the Sunday pursuit and shooting.

The Winterville Police Department requested an independent investigation, which the GBI is now leading. Investigators have not identified the agency employing the officer who fired the weapon. The identity of the woman who remained inside the SUV during the chase has also not been released. The GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens is accepting tips at 706-542-7901.