A Ringgold man was arrested in Chattooga County after speeding and attempting to elude a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Deptuy on September 18th.

According to a report released late last week from the sheriff’s office, the incident began when a deputy conducting routine traffic patrol along Highway 27 clocked a vehicle traveling 103 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. Activating his emergency lights and siren, the deputy gave chase with the vehicle reaching speeds up to 105 mph At one point, the driver even turned off his headlights in an attempt to evade the pursuing deputy.

The chase continued until the driver, later identified as twenty-one-year-old John Nathaneal Watson of Ringgold, Georgia, was finally boxed in by a Summerville police officer at the intersection of Rome Boulevard and Kirby Street. With his weapon drawn, the deputy ordered Watson to exit the black 2010 Nissan Maxima he was driving. Watson complied and was taken into custody without further incident.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a multi-colored packet in the passenger seat that the driver admitted contained marijuana. The high-speed pursuit and reckless driving resulted in charges of fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer, speeding in excess of the maximum limit, and failure to use headlights as required.