Local Chase Ends with Wreck and Charges

A Cleveland man faces charges from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol after a brief chase and wreck in the Fairview community on Tuesday.

Joseph Dale McCallister, 48, is charged by the Georgia State Patrol with driving under the influence.

Habersham County Sheriff’s Office charged McCallister with fleeing and attempting to elude, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, failure to obey stop sign, failure to maintain insurance, failure to maintain lane, no registration, driving on wrong side of road, and driving with a gore.

A Habersham County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit was patrolling Highway 115 just after 5:30 Tuesday afternoon when he observed a green Chevrolet S10 truck with no license plate.

Before the deputy could activate his emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop, the driver, later identified as McCallister, began to drive away at a high rate of speed.

The truck traveled up Highway 105 onto Sutton Road and Jim Thomas Road before getting back on Highway 105 toward Cornelia.

The truck turned onto Fairview School Road, then quickly onto Yearwood Road, where it traveled up an embankment and struck a tree with the passenger side and straddled a large hole as the deputy was turning onto Yearwood Road.

The deputy used his vehicle to prevent the driver from opening his door and fleeing on foot.

The truck sustained moderate damage in the collision with the tree and minor damage from the impact by the deputy’s push bumper.

The sheriff’s office vehicle sustained minor damage from use of the push bumper but was fully operable and driven from the scene.

After being evaluated by medical personnel at the scene, McCallister was taken to the Habersham County Detention Center, where he was booked on the charges.

Georgia State Patrol Post 7 Toccoa is investigating the collision.