‘Straight out of a movie:’ Car chase ends up with patrol car on top of suspect’s Jeep

ATLANTA — A chase involving Cobb County police ended with an officer’s car landing on the suspect’s overturned Jeep after a PIT maneuver. Channel 2 Action News showed you the damage from the crash live on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones was at the scene Tuesday, where witnesses said they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“It was straight out of a movie,” Tremon Jones said.

Georgia State Patrol told Channel 2 Action News that troopers were called out to Howell Mill Road just south of 17th Street around 9:43 p.m. Tuesday night. The road was shut down for hours as troopers and police investigated.

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Cobb County police said officers tried to pull over 50-year-old Robert Shirling near Sandtown Road and Hollyridge Drive in Marietta. Police said Shirling wouldn’t stop and tried to ram his Jeep into one of the patrol cars.

Troopers said the driver led officers through multiple neighborhood streets before getting on Interstate 75 southbound. Shirling then exited I-75 and hit two other cars at the intersection of Northside Drive and 17th Street before turning onto 17th Street, according to police.

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Police said Shirling then turned onto Howell Mill Road and hit a third car. That is when a Cobb officer performed a PIT maneuver.

The Jeep rolled over and landed on its roof during the maneuver, while a Cobb officer’s patrol car landed on top of the Jeep. Police arrested Shirling, who had minor injuries, and booked him into the Cobb County detention center.

Tremon Jones recorded video on 17th Street of police chasing the Jeep, which he said was flying.

“He was gone,” Jones said. “Like 100 mph down this street. It flipped over and the other car was on top of it... It was like a real video game that I seen. It didn’t feel real.”

Shirling, of Dahlonega faces charges of aggravated assault, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, driving while suspended or revoked (felony), failure to maintain lane and violation of a traffic control device.

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