A vehicle crashed into a church in Tennille on Saturday after a chase with Washington County deputies.
What happened: A deputy tried to pull over a vehicle at the intersection of Highway 68 and Highway 15. The driver pulled into a Dollar General parking lot but did not stop, then got back onto Highway 15 heading north.
Police say the driver lost control after the vehicle went airborne over railroad tracks on Highway 15. The car crossed the front lawn of Tennille Baptist Church before crashing into the building, causing significant damage.
The driver: 32-year-old Kentavian Washington of Tennille was taken into custody at the scene. He faces charges including driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, and felony fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer — meaning he refused to stop when signaled by law enforcement — along with additional charges not yet specified.
What’s next: Georgia State Patrol, the state agency that handles crash investigations involving law enforcement pursuits, will lead the investigation into the crash.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
