Box truck leads deputies on 40-miles chase from Newnan to Buckhead, 3 arrested

Box truck leads deputies on 30-minute chase

A white Penske box truck ran a red light, deputies said, and then led law enforcement officers on a 40-mile chase across metro Atlanta.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A box truck led police on a 40-mile chase from Newnan to Buckhead last Friday.

Gerardo Hernandez-Morales, 22, was behind the wheel, investigators said. He was charged with fleeing from police, reckless driving, marijuana possession, and driving on a suspended license. He also has an outstanding warrants in Acworth, Flowery Branch, and Forsyth County.

Video released by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies spotting a white Penske box truck exit Interstate 85 and run a red light as it turned left on Highway 154. Once deputies tried to pull over the truck, it got back on I-85 heading northbound.

Several times the truck slowed and changed lanes. At one point, the video shows the driver throwing something out the window.

Deputies tried to use the PIT maneuver to stop the box truck, but it was too large and would not spin out.

The chase then continues up the Downtown Connector and would also take some side trips off the interstate onto surface streets in Fulton County.

During the chase, three people got out. Maria De Los Angelas Rivera-Herrera, 41, was taken into custody and later held on an outstanding warrant out of Gwinnett County on a traffic-related charge. Felix A. Vallezo, 20, was charged with fleeing from police and marijuana possession. Another man also got out, but deputies were not able to catch up with him.

With the truck still in gear, they said the driver bailed out and tried to make a run for it. The pursuing Coweta County deputy chased him down and arrested him.

All three were booked into the Coweta County Jail.