Newly released arrest reports are providing additional details about the high-speed pursuit of a stolen pickup truck that began in Chattanooga and ended in Fort Oglethorpe on Friday, July 10.
According to the reports, 32-year-old Van William Atkins is accused of stealing a Ford F-150 from a friend on July 3. The truck’s owner told Chattanooga Police that Atkins had been driving him when he briefly stepped away from the vehicle. When he returned, both Atkins and the truck were gone.
Investigators said officers contacted Atkins by phone, and he claimed he had permission to borrow the truck. He reportedly told officers he would return the vehicle within 10 minutes, but never did.
Police returned to the owner’s residence on July 8 to obtain the truck’s license plate and vehicle identification number before officially entering it into the National Crime Information Center as a stolen vehicle.
At approximately 7:42 p.m. on July 10, Chattanooga Police located the truck and deployed a StarChase GPS tracking device, allowing officers to monitor the vehicle’s movements. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit after the tracker indicated the truck was traveling eastbound on Interstate 24 near the Moore Road exit.
Authorities said Atkins drove at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour while weaving through traffic, crossing multiple lanes, and continuing south on Interstate 75 into Georgia. The pursuit continued onto Battlefield Parkway, where the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Oglethorpe Police Department joined the chase.
Investigators said Atkins ran multiple red lights, including intersections at Pine Grove Road and Dietz Road. Fort Oglethorpe officers shut down the Dietz Road intersection to help prevent collisions with other motorists.
After the truck’s rear driver’s-side tire deflated near Parkway Drive, deputies attempted several Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuvers. Although some of the attempts spun the truck around, Atkins continued driving, at one point traveling the wrong way on Battlefield Parkway before turning around.
The pursuit ended in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 2700 block of Battlefield Parkway after deputies repeatedly struck the disabled truck in an effort to keep it from moving.
According to arrest reports, Atkins refused repeated commands to show his hands and continued reaching beneath the driver’s seat, into the center console and into the back seat of the truck. Deputies attempted to break the driver’s side window but were unsuccessful.
Authorities then used pepper spray and less-lethal bean bag rounds to gain compliance. Atkins attempted to exit the truck before deputies removed him through the passenger side. He was transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries before being booked.
Investigators reported finding two small scoopers containing a pink powdery residue believed to be consistent with fentanyl, along with pieces of burnt aluminum foil commonly associated with narcotics use. However, no drug-related charges have been filed.
Atkins is charged with theft of property, evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and speeding. He is scheduled to appear in Hamilton County General Sessions Court on Aug. 25.
The Georgia State Patrol continues investigating the collisions involving law enforcement vehicles during the pursuit, and additional charges remain possible.