A 24-year-old Newark, New Jersey man was taken to the Monroe County Jail after a pursuit through Forsyth in which his car struck a stopped SUV and went airborne at a railroad crossing, according to local reporting. Deputies say the chase began on I-75 and ended just outside city limits.
The account by mymcr.net identifies the driver as Soufiana Kaba. Monroe County Sheriff’s Corporal Matthew Sammons clocked a dark gray 2016 Toyota Corolla with a Texas license plate traveling 94 mph near mile marker 191 at about 10:36 p.m. on October 30, the outlet reported. When Sammons moved in behind the car, Kaba allegedly accelerated and maneuvered around a tractor-trailer.
Lights, Sirens and an Accelerating Corolla
Sammons activated his emergency lights, and the Corolla slowed to about 40 mph and moved toward the right emergency lane. After he turned on the siren, Kaba allegedly accelerated again; the car reached about 118 mph and changed lanes as it approached Exit 187, according to the report.
The Corolla allegedly continued down the exit ramp despite the deputy’s lights, ran a stop sign at North Lee Street and struck a Nissan Rogue stopped in traffic. The outlet reported that Kaba then continued south on North Lee Street, using the center turn lane and the wrong side of the road.
Airborne at a Railroad Crossing, Near-Miss With Patrol Car
The car allegedly went over a railroad crossing without slowing, became airborne and landed with sparks underneath. The report also says Kaba drove through the North Lee and West Johnston streets intersection using the turn lane, ran a red light at North Lee and West Main streets, and nearly struck a Forsyth police patrol car.
The Corolla then continued onto South Lee Street at about 78 mph in a posted 35-mph zone and went over the curb while passing through a newly built roundabout on Highway 42, according to the outlet. The pursuit ended just outside Forsyth city limits, where Sammons took Kaba into custody and transported him to the Monroe County Jail.
What crash and pursuit data show
Georgia Department of Public Health data show that motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of injury deaths and of hospitalizations and emergency-room visits in the state in 2020. Those figures describe crashes generally and do not measure police pursuits or their outcomes. In a report on Central Georgia pursuit policies, 13WMAZ quoted Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman as saying deputies weigh the danger to the public and fleeing driver against the benefits of a chase. That report does not establish the policy or decision-making in this specific pursuit.
Guns, Marijuana and Cameras Found in the Car
The outlet reported that a search of the car found about 13 grams of marijuana in three baggies, three Taurus handguns and several professional-grade cameras. It also reported that a criminal-history check showed Kaba was a convicted felon.
The outlet listed charges including hit-and-run, two counts of fleeing, speeding, failure to maintain lane, driving without a license, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to signal, improper use of a center turn lane and driving on the wrong side of the road. It also reported charges related to traffic-control devices, speed for conditions, seatbelt use, window tint and driving in a forbidden area, as well as possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distributing marijuana. The full scope and current status of the charges have not been independently verified.
