MONROE COUNTY, Ga. – Two Indiana teens accused of leading Georgia authorities on a chase in a stolen car may be involved in a series of vehicle thefts, police say.
Ethan Whaley, 18, from Rushville, and Tony Bridges, 19, from Shelbyville, were caught after trying to run away from the scene.
According to the Monroe County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, Flock cameras alerted authorities that a stolen car was in the area of Johnsonville Road and I-75 around 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 29.
A deputy located a gold Honda Civic with an Indiana license plate parked next to an exit. While the deputy tried to block the car in, the driver managed to get around the police cruiser and enter I-75 southbound, leading police on an eight-mile chase.
The Honda hit another car during the pursuit, police said. The chase ended when a deputy performed a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver. Whaley and Bridges then left the vehicle and tried to run off before police caught them.
Whaley, the driver, is charged with fleeing and attempting to elude, leaving the scene of an accident, obstruction of law enforcement and numerous traffic violations. Bridges, the passenger, is charged with obstruction of law enforcement. Additional charges could be filed.
The sheriff’s office said Whaley and Bridges are suspects in a “string of motor vehicle” thefts in Shelbyville, Indiana. They’re working with authorities in Shelbyville to investigate.