A fugitive was treated for hypothermia after he braved the elements trying to flee on foot from lawmen Thursday.
The suspect, Jarrod Herrin, was located by officers near Viola just before 4 p.m. Thursday, several hours after he fled on foot after wrecking his car during a police chase.
“There was a warrant on him out of DeKalb County,” said Sheriff Jackie Matheny. “Deputy John Bratten was going out to serve the warrant on him when he passed him on the road.”
The lawman turned around and the suspect accelerated away. The chase was joined by highway patrolmen who chased the fugitive onto Wheeler Road.
“He was driving very recklessly,” Matheny said, suggesting his endangerment of the public might lead to additional charges.
Herrin lost control of his car on a curve and crashed on Wheeler Road. He then fled the scene on foot and disappeared into the woods. A manhunt was staged, but Herrin was able to elude capture. He stayed at-large for more than four hours until he was seen near a restaurant in Viola.
Herrin was arrested and taken to River Park Hospital for treatment of hypothermia symptoms given his exposure to the damp, cold temperatures that remained in the 30s most of the day.