A police pursuit on Interstate 20 ended in a devastating 10-car crash that killed a 7-month-old baby, and injured multiple others, including two more young children.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, 33-year-old Cameron Gabriel Kemp was speeding on I-20 late Saturday night, weaving through traffic without headlights before a trooper attempted a traffic stop.
According to the AJC, Kemp also died of his injuries.
Investigators said Kemp did not stop and continued driving recklessly before losing control on the Wesley Chapel Road exit ramp.
Authorities said his vehicle crashed, triggering a 10-car pileup.
RELATED FROM THE AJC: “How state patrol pursuits endanger Georgians”
Witness Jacques Hall said he came upon the aftermath moments after the crash.
“It was just pure pandemonium,” Hall said. “There were people screaming. There were people hollering that there were babies stuck in the car.”
The crash claimed the life of a 7-month-old infant. Authorities said two other infants were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Georgia State Patrol issued a statement expressing condolences to the child’s family and defending the decision to pursue the vehicle.
“A motorist traveling at extreme speeds, without headlights on dark roadways, and recklessly maneuvering through traffic presents an immediate danger to everyone sharing the roadway,” the agency said.
The deadly crash has reignited a longstanding debate over police pursuit policies.
For the past decade, activist Devin Barrington-Ward has pushed elected leaders and law enforcement agencies to adopt stricter limits on when officers can pursue suspects.
“There are times where a police pursuit may be warranted, but this certainly was not one of those times,” Barrington-Ward said.
He argues that chases involving traffic violations can create even greater dangers for the public.
“It is not safe to add more speeding onto a dangerous speeding situation,” he said.
Barrington-Ward said the loss of a young child underscores the need for a broader discussion about when pursuits are justified.
“A seven-month-old baby with a full life ahead of her is gone because of something so senseless,” he said. “My heart just breaks for the family.”
The Georgia State Patrol continues to investigate the crash.
