A Fayetteville man fleeing a deputy in a stolen vehicle didn’t get very far Tuesday afternoon when he crashed into a school bus on Ga. Highway 92 south near HiLo Road, police said.

None of the handful of students on the bus were injured, as the car basically “glanced” off the bus, said Capt. Bryan Woodie of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Matt Justin Stone, 22, of 197 New Oak Ridge Trail, initially pulled to the shoulder of Hwy. 92 after traffic Deputy Doug Hardy heard a lookout broadcast by Fayetteville police for a stolen vehicle, Woodie said. Hardy noticed that the 1992 Buick LeSabre just in front of his patrol vehicle matched the description of the stolen car, Woodie added.

Stone initially pulled over when Hardy activated his lights and siren, but he sped away just as Hardy began to exit his patrol car. About 45 seconds later, Stone began to skid while Hardy was still a ways behind but able to keep Stone’s vehicle in sight.

“We weren’t right on top of him,” Woodie said, noting that Dep. Hardy was so far away when the collision occurred that his in-car camera only captured a cloud of smoke from the wreck.

Woodie said while Stone sped away, he crossed the center line several times and had “a couple of close calls” nearly hitting several northbound vehicles.

Stone, who was impaired by alcohol but refused a blood alcohol test, is charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane, fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, and other charges may be pending, Woodie said.

The video camera on the bus recorded the sound of screeching tires just before the crash, and it showed that the bus shook when the crash occurred, Woodie said.

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