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High-speed chase leads to arrest

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

and JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

A Newnan man is in custody for carjacking a race fan, but his co-conspirator remains at large after a high-speed chase and ensuing manhunt that began 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Fayette County and ended in Coweta County.

Daniel Hyde, 26, of Newnan, and his friend, Michael Moore, 23, previously of Newnan, allegedly began their crime spree at 2:30 a.m. Halloween morning when they carjacked and robbed a man at a BP gas station on Ga. Highway 29 South in Newnan. The men then fled in the victim’s 2002 green Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The unidentified victim purchased tickets to attend the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton. However, the victim never made it to the event, Coweta County Sheriff’s officials said. Instead, Hyde and Moore stole the tickets that were left inside of the victim’s F-150 and attended the race themselves.

While at the race, the men allegedly stole a trailer and possibly two four-wheelers, said Lt. Tony Grant, a detective with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division. No one has come forward to report the four-wheelers stolen, Grant added Wednesday.

Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the men were spotted in the truck hauling a trailer with two four-wheelers in Fayette County. The truck was weaving over the road, which led passers-by to suspect the driver was intoxicated, Fayette County Sheriff’s officials said.

"We didn’t know what we had there,” Fayette County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Lt. Brenda McCastle said. “We didn’t know if we had a driver possibly under the influence.”

A Fayette County sheriff’s deputy stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Ga. Highway 92 South and Jimmy Mayfield, McCastle said.

“After the vehicle stopped, the deputy proceeded to exit his vehicle to go over to the F-150 and the driver fled the scene. A pursuit ensued,” she said. “The vehicle was driving northbound on Hwy. 92 and then turned south on Hwy. 85 and went to Coweta County.”

The driver traveled over 90 miles per hour as he fled from authorities, officials said. During the pursuit, both four-wheelers flipped off of the trailer and landed in two separate yards off Plyant Street, she added.

Other agencies including Coweta County law enforcement officials joined the pursuit.

A manhunt for the suspects and their vehicle followed. Dogs from the K-9 Unit and the Hawk 1 helicopter was used during the hours long manhunt, McCastle said.

The search ended behind a gas station at Deep South and Johnson roads. A witness alerted deputies to the F-150’s whereabouts, she said.

Hyde was captured and taken to the Coweta County Jail on charges of theft by taking a motor vehicle, carjacking, robbery and assault, Detective Grant confirmed. More charges on Hyde might follow, he added.

Moore, who continued his crime spree after alluding authorities, remains on the lam, Grant said.

“While he was running he broke into a commercial property (Triple Tree Farm) and it just so happened to have a four-wheeler in it,” Grant said.

Moore, who now resides in Cumming, faces charges of burglary and two counts of theft by taking a motor vehicle, Grant said.

Grant hopes the public will assist them in their search for Moore. Anyone with information about Moore’s whereabouts is asked to call 911.

Grant said he believes the men were on their way back from the race when a Fayette County deputy spotted the motorist driving erratically.

“I feel like they were drinking or drunk,” Grant said. “Both of those individuals were wanted. That’s the whole reason why they ran.”

Hyde was wanted for failure to appear in court in LaGrange. Moore was wanted for a probation violation. Both men were on probation at the time of Sunday’s incident.

The chase sparked an outcry in Senoia, where citizens packed City Hall Monday night during the city Council meeting.

Councilman Robert Belisle wanted to send a message to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department condemning the action, but Police Chief Olitta Bennett asked for more time to find out all the facts surrounding the chase.

“I just want to get to the bottom of this,’ Belisle said.

The chief said that she had just received a preliminary report on the incident and also had a call into the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department. The high-speed chase through the historic east Coweta town occurred just as the city’s children were out celebrating Halloween and trick-or-treating. The city is now considering the opion of purchasing stop sticks for its police vehicles, which many believe would have stopped the chase dead in its tracks.

McCastle was sympathetic to the citizens’ complaints. However, she emphasized the deputies did not follow the suspects through downtown.

Fayette County deputies traveled a short distance on Ga. Highway 16 in Coweta County before ending the pursuit after receiving a directive from Sheriff Randall Johnson, she said.

McCastle said Sheriff Johnson declined to comment further on the matter.

“Once we stopped the pursuit, what (the suspects) continued to do, we don’t have any control of,” McCastle said.