Driver Killed in Crash While Fleeing from Duluth PD Traffic Stop

The Gwinnett County Police Accident Investigation Unit is currently investigating a fatal crash that resulted from a vehicle pursuit initiated by the Duluth Police Department. The crash occurred Saturday, July 13, about 3:18 p.m. at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard at Peachtree Crest Drive. This is in an area of unincorporated Duluth within Gwinnett County.

The accident report was provided by Gwinnett Police Cpl. Edwin Ritter.According to accident investigators, Jeremy Kelly, 28, of Flowery Branch was fleeing the scene of a traffic stop initiated by a Duluth PD officer stop near Shorty Howell Park on Pleasant Hill Road in the City of Duluth for a traffic violation.

Kelly fled in his black 1995 Nissan Maxima, and the Duluth Officer pursued him in his marked patrol car. Kelly was driving recklessly in his haste to avoid capture and eventually made his way northbound on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in southbound lanes at an extremely high rate of speed, the report stated.

Dawn Smith of Duluth, 48, was traveling southbound in the southbound lanes of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in her white 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. Jose Montes, 21, of Norcross was also traveling southbound in his red 1995 Ford Ranger behind Ms. Smith. Kelly crashed head-on into Ms. Smith’s vehicle. Montes could not stop or avoid the collision and stuck Ms. Smith’s vehicle, according to the report.

Kelly died on scene as a result of injuries sustained in the collision. Ms. Smith and Montes were both transported to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment of serious non-life threatening injuries.

The Gwinnett County Police Accident Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate this accident, Ritter reported. The entire Duluth Police pursuit and crash was captured on dash cam video, but the video is not being released at this time.