OPD, DTF has 2 chases in 1 night; woman hits parked car
Published 12:08 am Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Opp Police and the Drug Task Force had simultaneous chases occur Sunday night in unrelated cases, one of which led to a woman hitting a parked car.
Opp Police Chief Mike McDonald said that around 8:30 p.m., a D-shift unit was conducting routine patrol on Hwy. 134 when they observed a 1990 Toyota Corolla do a U-turn in the highway and then proceed southbound on the bypass to Hwy. 52.
“The patrol unit followed and stopped this vehicle at the intersection of Hwy. 52 and Patterson Drive,” he said. “The officer observed a male adult exit the vehicle and flee from the scene on foot.”
McDonald said the officer called for assistance and remained with the vehicle and driver.
The driver, Rebecca L. Gallups, 36, of Phenix City, attempted to conceal the identity of the male passenger who fled.
McDonald said she was charged with obstructing governmental operations and was transported to the OPD where she posted bond.
“As officers were searching for the male passenger that fled from the scene on foot, 22nd Judicial Drug Task Force Agents made contact wit a 2007 Ford and detected the odor of marijuana,” McDonald said. “They had the vehicle operator, Ashley M. Suggs, a 21-year-of-age female resident of Red Level, step out of the car.”
McDonald said that Suggs jumped back into her vehicle and fled the scene causing a minor injury to a DTF agent.
“DTF agents and OPD units initiated a vehicle pursuit and when arriving at the intersection of Patterson Drive and Brandon Avenue, observed the vehicle that Ms. Suggs was operating strike a light pole, cable and a stop sign,” McDonald said. “Ms. Suggs continued to flee on the vehicle striking a 2014 Nissan Sentra that was parked at a residence, causing heavy damage to this vehicle.”
McDonald said that law enforcement officials continued to pursue Suggs southbound on Hattaway Road until Suggs crashed her vehicle.
Suggs was taken into custody and charged with resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana first degree, possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, criminal mischief third degree and was also arrested on a probation warrant for escape.
Suggs was booked into the Covington County Jail.
McDonald did not release the name of the man who fled.
In other cases, the OPD:
- Arrested two female juveniles on Saturday night around 9, when their 2004 Scion XB was caught speeding on Hwy. 331. “The officer detected the presence of marihuana in the vehicle,” McDonald said. The juveniles were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana second, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of alcohol. They were sent to the department of youth services.
- Arrested three men from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for synthetic marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after patrol units caught them speeding on the Opp Bypass. Arrested were Christopher Watson, 46; Ryan T. Warren, 25, and Christopher Watson Jr., 21. The case was referred to the DTF and they were booked into the Covington County Jail.