A man already wanted by Atlanta police for allegedly stalking, punching and robbing a woman near the Midtown MARTA Station is now accused of stealing a marked police cruiser from the scene of his own manhunt and crashing it into a tanker truck across the county line. Officers say 30-year-old Phelan Thorpe was armed with a gun when he fled Monday evening, setting off a chase that ended in a fiery mess of traffic and twisted metal on Interstate 675.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, officers were called just after 5:15 p.m. Monday to the 2000 block of Thomasville Drive Southeast for a report of a wanted man armed with a gun. While police were on scene, Thorpe allegedly slipped away in a marked Atlanta Police patrol vehicle that had been parked outside, according to the station's report.
Chase Ends in Clayton County Collision
From there, Thorpe allegedly drove the stolen cruiser out of Atlanta and into neighboring Clayton County, where he crashed into a tanker truck, per the same account. The collision happened on Interstate 675 southbound near Forest Parkway, according to 11Alive, and the crash forced emergency crews to temporarily shut down the southbound lanes as they responded. The outlet reports that some drivers were seen turning around and heading in the opposite direction to avoid the backup.
Police said no officers or bystanders were hurt in the crash, 11Alive reported. Officers took Thorpe into custody without further incident following the collision, the article notes, and he suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries that required a trip to the hospital for further medical attention.
Background on the Original Manhunt
The chase began because Thorpe was already a wanted man. Authorities had been searching for him in connection with an alleged stalking, punching and robbery of a woman near the Midtown MARTA Station, according to the FOX 5 Atlanta report.
It remains unknown what specific additional charges Thorpe faces following his arrest, the station notes. FOX 5 Atlanta also reports that Thorpe has a lengthy arrest record in Fulton County spanning more than 15 years, with prior cases involving property theft, battery, terroristic threats and attempted robbery.
