HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A Hampton man was arrested on Thanksgiving Day after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen SUV, authorities said.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office reported that 30-year-old Raphel Isiah Collins was driving a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe without tags at approximately 106 mph northbound on Interstate 985 near the Friendship Road exit. The SUV, reportedly stolen from Fulton County, was weaving in and out of traffic and using the emergency lane.
A deputy clocked Collins at around 9 a.m. and began pursuit, eventually catching up near the Spout Springs Road exit. Collins refused to stop, exiting at H.F. Reed Industrial Parkway (Exit 14) and hitting a curb, deflating a front tire. He then returned to the interstate, ran a red light at Exit 16/Mundy Mill Road, and struck another curb before abandoning the SUV and fleeing on foot.
Law enforcement, including Georgia State Patrol officers, apprehended Collins on the 3400 block of Mundy Mill Road.
During the arrest, deputies allegedly found one gram of methamphetamine and less than one gram of fentanyl on Collins.
He faces multiple felony charges:
Fleeing/attempting to elude
Theft by receiving (for knowingly possessing the stolen SUV)
Possession of fentanyl
Possession of methamphetamine
He was also charged with misdemeanor obstruction of an officer and numerous traffic offenses, including speeding, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and running red lights.
Collins was booked into the Hall County Jail on an $18,430 bond.
