GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A police chase that started in Snellville ended in a deadly crash on Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville early Sunday morning, according to witnesses who saw the aftermath.
Susan Justice, who lives one street over, said she heard a car flying past her house around 2 a.m. and immediately called 911.
“The rate of speed was just insane,” Justice said.
When she drove to the scene, police were already there.
“I thought, ‘How did the police get here so quickly?’ And then started to put two and two together that it was probably a high-speed chase,” she said.
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Witnesses say the car crossed the median and slammed into a telephone pole, flipping upside down in the process.
Justice said she saw a body being removed and saw someone else taken to the hospital with injuries.
The crash knocked out power for hours and came within feet of a home on Scenic Highway.
“All I can think of is how close that car was to potentially flipping into that home, into that front porch,” Justice said.
Snellville police were involved with the chase but have not released details about why it began, where it started, or the identities of those involved.
Justice said she is hoping for a full, public investigation.
“Whenever there’s a fatality, you have to take a pause, take a breath, and figure out if that risk is worth endangering the community and the general public,” she said.
The Georgia State Patrol sent a statement to Channel 2 Action News saying:
“On 01/18/2026 at approximately 2:34 AM, a Trooper was requested to assist with a single-vehicle fatality crash on Scenic Highway and Hickory Lane in Gwinnett County. A Hyundai Elantra was traveling north on Scenic Highway while actively fleeing from Snellville Police Department vehicles. The Hyundai failed to maintain its lane of travel and struck the concrete median barrier. This caused the Hyundai to rotate counterclockwise while traveling off the roadway to the right, striking a mailbox. The Hyundai then struck a utility pole and began to overturn several times before coming to final uncontrolled rest on its roof.
“Two passengers were transported to Northside Gwinnett Hospital for serious injuries, and a third passenger suffered a fatal injury. The driver has been arrested by the Snellville Police Department. Snellville Police Department has taken all charges for this pursuit and crash.
“The Troop C Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team has been requested and is assisting with the investigation.”
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