NEWTON COUNTY— What began as a routine interstate traffic stop turned into a police chase that ended in downtown Covington with the arrest of two convicted felons.
Nathan Roach of Norcross and Kemori Bigsby of Stone Mountain were arrested and charged after the chase on Wednesday, March 11. The Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) has identified both as convicted felons.
Per a news release from the NCSO, a deputy with the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) Unit initiated a traffic stop on I-20 shortly after noon. The deputy reportedly observed the vehicle, a Genesis G70 sedan, traveling eastbound at 20 miles per hour over the speed limit.
The driver, later identified as Roach, allegedly did not comply with the deputy’s attempt to initiate the traffic stop, leading to the pursuit.
The news release depicts the chase going along I-20 to the Alcovy Road exit, then southward toward Elm Street and Highway 278.
When exiting the interstate, the driver reportedly hit a white SUV while failing to yield. While later traveling on Pace Street, the driver struck a pickup truck, the release states. Neither of the collisions resulted in injuries.
The vehicle pursuit came to a close in the parking lot of Covington Fire Station 21 on Pace Street. The driver and front-seat passenger—now identified as Roach and Bigsby, respectively—reportedly exited the sedan and ran. Two unnamed passengers in the backseat were detained and later released.
With assistance from officers with the Covington Police Department, the deputies were able to locate Roach and Bigsby hiding under the Cricket Frog Trail bridge near Emory Street. The release does not specify the time of the suspects’ apprehension.
Deputies searched the sedan and found a handgun, which investigators believe belongs to Roach.
Twenty-four-year-old Roach has 15 charges:
- Receipt, possession or transport of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
- Reckless driving; aggressive driving
- Willful obstruction of law enforcement officers
- Three counts of leaving the scene of an accident
- Emerging from an alley, driveway or building
- Driving upon a sidewalk prohibited
- Failure to yield right of way
- Disobeying a traffic control device
- Following too closely
- No seat belt
- Two counts of failure to signal when turning
- Two counts of passing on the shoulder of the road
- Speeding (14 to 24 mph over the limit — 90 mph in a 70 mph zone)
- Speeding (35 to 44 mph over the limit — 80 mph in a 35 mph zone)
Eighteen-year-old Bigsby was charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers and failure to wear a seat belt.
As of Friday afternoon, Roach is still in police custody, per the online Newton County offender index that lists currently booked inmates. Bigsby is not in the index.
“Sheriff Ezell Brown and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office thank the Covington Police Department for its assistance in this incident,” the release states.
