The Gwinnett County Police Department has apprehended a 21-year-old man from Lawrenceville, Alessio Vaduva, following a high-speed chase involving a small child in his vehicle. The incident occurred during a targeted operation addressing racing, reckless driving, and DUI.
On June 14, around 1a.m., officers engaged in a detail focused on traffic offenses when a DUI task force officer observed a black BMW speeding on I-85. Upon attempting to initiate a traffic stop, police say the driver of the BMW fled at a high speed.
The department’s Aviation Unit located the vehicle as it exited onto Pleasant Hill Road with its headlights off. Despite continued efforts to evade the police, the vehicle was tracked to a residential neighborhood in Duluth.
Arrest and Charges
Upon reaching the neighborhood, police say the driver abandoned the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot, carrying a two-year-old child. Officers quickly established a perimeter and detained the suspect, identified as Alessio Vaduva of Lawrenceville. Vaduva was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including felony fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, driving without headlights, defective tires, operating an unsafe vehicle, failure to obey a traffic control device, child restraint violation, and duty upon striking a fixture.
The child, who was unharmed, was released to a family member.
Operation Results
The five-day operation, aimed at curbing dangerous driving behaviors, resulted in 485 traffic stops and the issuance of 658 citations. These included 36 citations for DUI and 10 for reckless driving.
The operation is part of the ongoing efforts of the Gwinnett County Police Department to enhance road safety and reduce traffic-related offenses.
