Cop arrested for street racing

[Eric]

WAYNESBORO Ga.-- A Waynesboro Police officer was arrested after troopers say he was racing with another vehicle that ended up flipping over and crashing.

Investigators say Jonathan Cates, a Waynesboro Police Officer, was speeding in a 1999 Chevy Silverado. He was arrested and is being charged with misdemeanor racing.

The other vehicle, a 2007 Nissan Titan was also speeding when it flipped onto the drivers side on 11th Street and Quaker Road.

There was a 15 year old in the Titan who was hurt in the accident. He is expected to be okay, and right now it is not clear if he was actually driving.

Georgia State Patrol, Sgt. Ben Forehand said it happened Tuesday night around 8:20 p.m.

"By the time I seen it...it was still on its side sliding," Derrick Smith said about watching the truck with the teenager inside crashing into a yard on West 11th Street.

Smith sees police tape, mirrors and other car parts in the yard the truck crashed into now, but Tuesday night he says it was a 2007 Nissan Titan that was smashed and left a teenager injured.

"This is a racing community," Smith said. "But just (doing it) in this confined area, that's ridiculous."

Sgt. Forehand worked the accident and said two trucks were racing at a high rate of speed before the Nissan Titan lost control around a corner and rolled into a neighbors yard hitting a tree.

But when troopers arrived they say the Nissan was being moved to Top Quality Auto, a nearby auto shop that has wrecked cars in its lot, and Officer Cates' 1999 Chevy Silverado was nowhere to be found.

"I'm not very happy about it at all," Waynesboro Police Chief Karl Allen said. "We don't condone this type of behavior whatsoever."

Chief Allen said they've had disciplinary problems with this officer before and have now put him on administrative leave.

"At this point, we're doing an investigation and after the investigation we'll decide what to do and what disciplinary action to take against the officer," Chief Allen said.

State Patrol investigators say the 15-year-old suffered a minor shoulder injury and his family owns Top Quality Auto.

Earl Culver was arrested for interference with police. Incident reports show he works at Top Quality Auto.

Incident reports also said, "(The teen) advised (an officer) that Earl was driving the vehicle." The incident report then says Culver was taken to the Burke County Jail. In the officers statement in the report it later says, "But at the jail (Culver) told (the officer) that (Culver) was taking the blame, that (Culver) was the driver."

"Covering one bad to suit one purpose is still however you sum it up," Smith said. "Off duty officer or not."

So the investigation continues and only time will tell the fate of Officer Cates' job and if the 15-year-old was the other one racing the Nissan Titan that crashed.

"It's not the fact that I want anyone to get locked up or lose their job," Smith said. "But practice the law equally and fairly for everyone."

State Patrol investigators are also looking into the case to see if alcohol was involved in the race.

The State Patrol says the officer came to the Waynesboro Police Department and turned himself in about four hours after the accident.

Incident reports also show the Titan was not insured.

[J. ZIMM]

We had a situation a few years back that involved street racing. Two cars, one containing a couple of boys, the other a couple of girls. Rounding a corner, the girls lost control and crashed. Killing both of the young ladies. The boys were arrested and held on the charges of manslaughter. As the year past by, one was let go as he was not the driver. The driver was held responsible for the lives lost that night. He received 15 years in the State pen. By the way, he was under the age of 18 at the time...