A traffic stop on Georgia Highway 196 the night of Oct. 3 turned into a three-county pursuit that deputies say reached 130 miles per hour. According to Long County authorities, a deputy first spotted a black Yamaha motorcycle near Joe Kennedy Road, then a corporal ahead clocked the bike at 90 mph in a 55 mph zone and watched it pass in a no-passing zone before the rider took off.
The chase carried the motorcycle through Long and Tattnall counties before ending on Key Howard Road in Long County. Even after stopping, the rider, identified as Victor Tavarez of Fort Stewart, tried to flee again and struck a corporal and his patrol vehicle before losing control. The corporal was treated for minor injuries.
Tavarez now faces felony fleeing, obstruction, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, along with reckless driving, speeding, improper passing, and a driver’s license violation. For southeast Georgia listeners with ties to Fort Stewart, the military connection adds another layer to a story that already raises hard questions about pursuit policy on rural highways.
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