A stolen car suspected of being the get-away vehicle in a Waffle House armed robbery fled when deputies approached, leading a chase through three counties before ending in a crash with the driver escaping on foot.

According to Rockdale County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Investigator Michael Camp, around 3 a.m. Thursday, three suspects with covered faces, and one of them armed, came into the Waffle House near Honey Creek and Ga. Highway 20 and took the cash from the cash register. No customers were in the restaurant at the time, only employees, and no one was reportedly injured.

The suspects then reportedly got into a dark colored Honda and drove off.

Around 3:45 a.m., according to Porterdale Police Chief Geoff Jacobs, Porterdale Officer Brian Hornbuckle spotted a brown-gold Honda and another dark-colored car approaching the four-way stop at the intersection of Crowell Road and Highway 81. The two cars had been traveling south on Crowell Road but they pulled into the Shell gas station on the corner, circled the gas pumps, and headed back north on Crowell Road.

Hornbuckle reportedly observed the brown Honda crossing the center line lane marker and attempted to make a traffic stop. However, the Honda sped away, passing the dark car that was in front of it, and the officer followed until the chase was taken up by Newton County Sheriff's Office deputies, who followed the vehicle as it went on to Interstate 20 near Ga. Highway 278.

The chase continued into Rockdale County, where RCSO deputies took over the chase, and continued into DeKalb County. The vehicle exited on the Turner Hill Road exit and continued on Old Covington Highway.

The vehicle crashed as it approached Panola Road and the RCSO deputy's car that was following hit the Honda Civic on the passenger side. The driver got out of the wreckage and began fleeing on foot. DeKalb County police attempted to track down the suspect in the woods, but the suspect was able to escape.

The Honda Civic turned out to be a stolen vehicle. The registered owners reportedly did not yet know it was stolen when investigators contacted them, as their daughter normally drove the vehicle.

However, items connected to the Waffle House robbery were located in the wrecked vehicle, according to Camp. The case is still under investigation.