Spike Strips stop Fleeing Motorist

A set of spike strips were deployed to stop a fleeing motorist from Towns County.  The Rabun County Sheriff’s Office reports that at 3am on August 14, the Rabun County Dispatch Center was notified by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office of a vehicle pursuit heading towards the Rabun County line on Highway 76 West.  The driver of a 2000 Ford Ranger, 60-year-old Martin Lovig Jr. of Morganton, Georgia, was being pursued for failure to maintain lane and driving in oncoming lanes.  Deputies of the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office deployed spike strips at Highway 76 West and Davis Gap Road.  Lovig struck the spike strips with his driver-side tires and kept going.  Another deputy deployed spike strips in the eastbound lane near Lake Burton Stone and Lovig struck those with the driver side tires as well and kept going.  An officer of the Clayton Police Department deployed spike strips at Clayton Welding.  Lovig struck those with his passenger side front tire and continued driving at a slower speed.  He crossed through the Georgia 15 and Savannah Street red light while it was red and turned onto Rickman Street.  Then Lovig went through the stop sign at Rickman Street and Warwoman Road, turning right onto Warwoman Road.  He continued to drive into oncoming lanes both while on Highway 76 West and Warwoman Road.  Lovig’s truck tires began to fall apart and the truck came to stop just before Fire Station 2 on Warwoman Road.  He was arrested for fleeing or attempting to elude, reckless driving, failure to obey stoplights, and failure to obey stop signs.  In addition, a hold was placed on him by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office.  He was booked into the Rabun County Detention Center on the charges.