A Calhoun man accused of causing a fatal head-on collision on Rome Road after fleeing law enforcement on August 23 has been extradited back to Gordon County from Tennessee. Matthew Allen Pickens, 44, is now facing charges including homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle.

Pickens was taken into custody by Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s officials upon his release from Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga. He had been hospitalized in intensive care following the crash, which explains the delay in the public release of his identity.

Authorities confirmed that Pickens waived extradition, allowing for his transport back to Georgia. He was subsequently booked into the Gordon County Jail, where he now faces a litany of charges stemming from the deadly incident.

The charges against Pickens include homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, and a host of other traffic-related offenses. The fatal crash occurred on Rome Road when Pickens’ vehicle collided head-on with a Dade County family after he allegedly fled from law officers.

Records indicate that Pickens has a history of traffic-related offenses, having been in the Gordon County Jail on three previous occasions in 2020, 2022, and 2023, each time for similar violations.

The Georgia State Patrol led the investigation into the August 23 incident and filed the charges against Pickens. He remains held at the Gordon County Jail awaiting further legal proceedings.