Teen forcibly stopped by GA State Patrol officer dies in car crash, Muscogee coroner says

A teenager who was forcibly stopped by a Georgia State Patrol officer Wednesday night in Columbus died in a car crash, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.

Bryan identified the victim as Kamari Gamble, 18, of Talbotton.

Bryan said the crash occurred on Georgia State Route 22 at mile marker 14 after a PIT maneuver.

A PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver happens during a chase when a pursuing law enforcement vehicle forces a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn 180 degrees, causing the vehicle to stall and stop, according to the Office of Justice Programs website.

Gamble was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Wednesday at a Columbus hospital, according to Bryan.

GSP shared preliminary details with the Ledger-Enquirer via an email Thursday afternoon from Courtney Lund, a public information officer with the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

GSP said troopers initiated a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry for driving without insurance in Muscogee County at 10:54 p.m. Wednesday.

The driver fled the scene as troopers approached the vehicle, prompting a pursuit northeast on Macon Road, GSP said.

The pursuit proceeded to SR-22, where the PIT maneuver was executed on the Camry near mile marker 14, GSP said. The Camry traveled into the median and struck a tree with the rear of the vehicle, according to GSP.

GSP said the driver attempted to avoid the PIT maneuver during the pursuit by aggressively applying his brakes and veering to avoid contact.

Troopers conducted a felony stop and found Gamble unresponsive, according to GSP.

GSP said Gamble had outstanding warrants for failure to appear on a drug possession charge.

“The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the GSP said in the email.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 2:21 PM.