HollyMatkinAlpharetta, GA – An allegedly intoxicated driver behind the wheel of a McLaren 720S turned a Georgia highway into a racetrack on Sunday, leading an officer on a chase at speeds of up to 155 miles per hour.
Police said Dwayne Sherwood Pope, 46, drove up behind a marked Alpharetta police patrol vehicle at about 3 am on Sunday as both vehicles were traveling down the highway, the Alpharetta Patch reported.
The supercar blasted past the officer, who estimated it to be traveling at 105 miles per hour. She confirmed her suspicions using her patrol unit’s radar, and clocked the vehicle as it accelerated from 109 miles per hour to 115 miles per hour.
Police reports said the officer activated her lights and sirens as Pope’s vehicle “straddled the boundary line that divided two lanes of travel,” the Alpharetta Patch reported.
“The vehicle was also changing lanes without using a turn signal and weaving in and out of the traffic it was passing,” the officer’s report said. “I checked the vehicle’s speed again with my RADAR device and the device read 155 mph.”
Dashcam footage of the pursuit showed the McLaren pulling away from the officer, even as she reached a speed of 143 miles per hour in her V-6 2015 Chevrolet Impala.
Pope braked numerous times, but continued to drive at speeds varying from 115 miles per hour to 155 miles per hour before he finally came to an abrupt stop.
The officer’s report said Pope decelerated from 150 miles per hour to a complete stop “in a matter of several seconds,” the Alpharetta Patch reported.
Pope told the officer he didn’t notice her vehicle’s sirens or lights.
“He stated that he pulled over when he saw me behind him, which was approximately 5 miles after I initiated my emergency equipment,” she said.
Pope showed signs of intoxication, and was taken to the Alpharetta detention center for testing.
“Once at the jail, he began asking what the point of taking the breath test was,” the officer’s report said. “He stated, ‘I already lost anyway,’ and then he refused the breath test.”
Pope was arrested on charges of DUI, reckless driving, and cited for speeding, failure to maintain lane, and driving with an expired tag, the Alpharetta Patch said.
Watch dashcam footage of the high-speed pursuit below.