NEWNAN, Ga. -- What began as an odd exchange after a minor accident in Newnan Thursday quickly turned into a high-speed chase with several law enforcement vehicles in pursuit.
Newnan police said that they first responded the I-85 off ramp to Bullsboro Drive around 1 p.m. But as Officer K. Lachance was heading to the scene, he spotted a vehicle matching that of the one that sped from the scene - a black Mercedes-Benz.
Lachance immediately turned around in the median to catch up with the driver. And that's when Officer Lachance said the fleeing vehicle began to speed up and act erratically.
"The Mercedes began to accelerate rapidly and switched lanes from the number one to the far right turn lane," Lachance said.
Lachance said he turned on his vehicle's police lights near Greison Trail and the Mercedes immediately turned right on the road and began passing cars in a no-passing zone and running stop signs.
After making a series of turns, the driver then hit dangerous speeds, first 85 mph in a 35 mph zone and then 114 mph in a 45 mph zone. After traveling head-on toward another driver, the driver then had the attention of several Coweta County and Newnan police patrol vehicles.
Despite the extra attention, the Mercedes driver managed to lose police - at least for a while. The search was soon called off when the suspect car disappeared.
But several minutes later, a member of the Newnan Fire Department spotted the Mercedes yet again in the Bullsboro Crossing neighborhood. Soon a second pursuit began with members of the sheriff's office and police department close behind.
But this time, the driver didn't get away. After continuing to run stop signs and drive at high speeds - sometimes on the wrong side of the road - a sheriff's office lieutenant managed to pit maneuver the car. A state trooper and a Newnan police sergeant then rammed the vehicle.
The vehicle came to a stop and a black female, later identified as Breanna Rothwell, ran from the scene before being tackled by several officers. Police soon found she had a suspended license. Inside the car were what police suspect were containers of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Rothwell was taken to an area hospital where officers met to speak with her about the incident. However, she claimed that another woman was actually driving during the initial hit-and-run and that she switched to the passenger seat.
She said the other person told her to leave the scene and that she did so out of fear. When police arrived behind her, she said the other woman told her to continue driving and that the police weren't searching for her. At some point, Rothwell said the woman ran from the car leaving her to deal with the police.
Officers also spoke with the driver of the other vehicle first hit earlier in the day. He told police that after the accident, a black female wearing a black dress got out of the Mercedes and handed him a drivers license with the picture of a white female with blonde hair named Liana Skoglund. When he attempted to confront her about the issue she told him that she needed to leave - and so began the afternoon police chase.
Rothwell now faces charges of forgery of identification document, two counts of Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act Schedule 1 or 2 Possession, obstruction of officers, speeding, suspended or revoked license, leaving the scene of an accident with injury, fleeing or attempting to elude police, driving on the wrong side of the road, passing in a no passing zone, following too closely and reckless driving.
