Atlanta

Man arrested after police chase ends in fiery crash near Downtown Connector

ATLANTA — One man is facing DUI charges after a police chase ended in a fiery crash near the Downtown Connector.

Police say they caught a car speeding down Piedmont Road early Thursday morning. When they tried to pull the car over, it took off onto the Buford Spring Connector, where it crashed over an embankment and landed on I-75 north just after the split. The car then burst into flames.

The driver of the car, 28-year-old Colin Taylor Burnett, ran from the scene and was captured in the nearby woodline. Police initially said two other people were in the car, but later determined there was no one else involved.

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Patrol cars and firetrucks blocked several lanes of I-75 just after the split as they moved the car off the roadway and cleaned up the area. The car was towed away just before 4:30 a.m.

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All lanes have since reopened.

Troopers and officers with Atlanta police searched the entire area both above and below, looking for what they first throught may have been two passengers who also tried to get away but called off the search after about two hours.

Burnett was first caught speeding around 3 a.m. on Piedmont Road in Buckhead, but wouldn't stop when a trooper tried pulling him over.

The high-speed chase continued down the Buford-Spring Street Connector when Burnett lost control in a turn.

This isn't the first time a car has done nearly the exact same thing.

In January 2016 not being chased, a car launched over the wall at high speed, but flipped, landing upside on its roof, killing all three men inside.

This time, the car somehow landed right-side up and despite going up in flames, the driver walked away.

Burnett now faces a number of charges, including fleeing and driving under the influence.