THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) confirmed a man from Jacksonville, Florida died on May 29 after a high-speed chase ended in a crash in Thomasville. GSP also said drugs were found in the vehicle after the crash.

The man, who was driving the vehicle being pursued, was identified by GSP as 34-year-old James Edward Roberts.

GSP said the incident started at about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, when a trooper saw a driver of a Lincoln MKS traveling without wearing a seatbelt while patrolling on Remington Avenue near Broad Street in Thomasville. The trooper tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver did not comply, according to GSP.

According to preliminary information provided by GSP, Roberts then drove through city streets at “an extremely high rate of speed.” Eventually, Roberts drove off the road and into a driveway culvert, causing his vehicle to overturn multiple times, according to GSP.

GSP said Roberts was completely ejected from the vehicle, and a passenger was trapped inside the vehicle. They were both taken to Archbold Hospital in Thomasville where Roberts died as a result of his injuries.

After the pursuit and crash, GSP’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team investigated the incident, GSP said. They then found a small amount of marijuana, THC products and cocaine inside the vehicle.

GSP said the trooper’s patrol car never made contact with the fleeing vehicle.

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