Prison escapee leads Monroe County deputies on a high-speed chase down I-75

A Georgia prison escapee is back in custody after a chase by Monroe County sheriff’s deputies that started early Tuesday on Interstate 75 and ended in some woods behind a Walmart in Forsyth.

The chase ensued after a speeding Chevrolet Equinox on Interstate-75 southbound failed to stop for Monroe County sheriff’s deputies near mile marker 191 at 12:21 a.m., according to a news release.

The sheriff’s report says the driver was traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph, said Anna Lewis, public information coordinator for the sheriff’s office.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office:

The driver, later identified as Talawrence Vickers, kept on speeding and a chase ensued. Vickers attempted to get off the interstate at Exit 188, but ran off the road. He then continued onto GA. 42 toward Forsyth.

He next drove through a Walmart parking lot and abandoned the sports utility vehicle behind the discount store and ran into nearby woods.

Vickers was taken into custody after a brief search by Monroe County deputies and Forsyth police officers.

When he was booked at the Monroe County Jail, deputies discovered that he was an escapee from the medium-security Smith Transitional Center in Claxton, where he had been serving a 10-year sentence for robbery.

He was charged with multiple traffic offenses, including fleeing and attempting to elude police, a felony, and a misdemeanor marijuana charge. Charges are pending in connection with his Dec. 30 escape.

This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 5:31 PM.