By Ellen Eldridge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — A University of Georgia student might have gotten away if he didn’t use his cellphone to record his speed on Snapchat while leading a police chase, Athens-Clarke County police say.
Hunter Ty Wilkerson reached speeds of 110 mph during the Thursday morning chase before he ran off the road, went airborne and crashed into several parked cars, according to a police report.
Police said the 19-year-old fled after stealing five traffic signs off the UGA campus.
Athens-Clarke County police Officer H. Kitchen wrote in the report he estimated the Ford F-150 truck was going about 90 mph in a 35-mph zone when it flew past him about 3:30 a.m.
“At that point in itself he’s reckless,” Athens-Clarke County police spokesman Epifanio Rodriguez said. “He’s putting lives in danger, to include his own and anyone else who’s on the roadway.”
After Wilkerson was in handcuffs, another officer found his cellphone in the truck. Wilkerson was still logged in to Snapchat, where police said he’d zoomed in on his speedometer hitting 110 mph. Wilkerson allegedly bragged that he was leading a police chase.
“An officer looks through his phone and sees he was active on social media, Snapchat, and was sending out updates saying that he was in a pursuit with the police officer,” Rodriguez said.
Wilkerson faces 25 charges, including fleeing a police officer, DUI and reckless driving.
©2017 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)