A high-speed chase that began in Baldwin County Saturday raced through Jones County before it ended in Putnam County. Once captured, the two Baldwin women in the car each told authorities a different story.
The chase began when Baldwin County Deputy Sheriff Saralynn Henderson was on routine patrol shortly after midnight and a gold Honda Accord passed her on State Route 22. Noticing the car had no tag lights, the deputy turned on her blue lights to conduct a traffic stop, according to her incident report. The Honda pulled into the parking lot of a closed gas station, but then sped out of it and headed east on Hwy. 22, reaching speeds of 100 mph. Henderson pursued, and the chase made a few turns and continued into Jones County, going through stop signs and speeding.
In Haddock, the chase continued on Fortville- Milledgeville Road at speeds above the posted speed limits and flew through stop signs without stopping. Henderson wrote in her report that, at times, she lost sight of the Honda, but would catch back up with it. The Honda driver turned onto U.S. Highway 129 and went into Putnam County, traveling at speeds between 80 and 100 mph. Noting that “there was minimal traffic,” Henderson continued the pursuit and notified Putnam authorities.
Putnam County Deputy Sheriff Mark Adams set up at the intersection of US 129 and SR 212 and stood on the shoulder of the road with spike strips ready, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. As the speeding Honda approached, Adams deployed the spike strips in the southbound lane, but the driver swerved around them.
“The car partially struck the strips and flattened the tires but the driver continued on and went through the intersection with the Baldwin County deputy still in pursuit,” Sills said.
The driver slowed down and then crossed over the center line and off the road into a ditch and crashed into the roadside sign of Murder Creek Recreation.
“That’s a couple of miles up the road past the spike strips, so she drove a good way on those flat tires,” Sills commented.
In her report, Henderson said after the crash, she saw the two people in the Honda jump into the backseat. The deputy got out of her vehicle with her gun drawn and gave verbal commands for both of them to step out of the car with their hands up.
“Jameria King opened the back door on the driver’s side and stepped out of the vehicle with her hands up,” Henderson wrote in her report.
“The other female, Saniya Moss, exited from the back passenger side with her hands up.”
Both women were held at gunpoint until Deputy Adams arrived to assist and handcuff them, and they were placed in separate patrol vehicles.
Henderson spoke with King first. “King stated she was not driving, but Moss was going to lie and say she was,” Henderson said. “King stated that she told Moss to stop multiple times during the pursuit, but Moss told King that she (Moss) couldn’t go back to jail.”
Moss reportedly told Henderson that she and King had switched places in the driver and passenger seats during the pursuit.
“Based on my training and experience, and at the rates of speed during the pursuit, it was highly unlikely that Moss and King swapped drivers,” Henderson wrote in her report.
Meanwhile, the owner of the vehicle was contacted and arrived to pick up her vehicle. The owner said Moss was her niece and lived with her. The owner said Moss had used the Honda, with the owner’s permission, earlier that evening around 8:30 to go pick up her friend, King. Both girls were reportedly at home when the owner went to bed.
The owner woke around midnight and discovered the teens were gone and her car was missing. She called and texted Moss to return immediately with her car, but received no response, so she wanted to press charges.
Jameria Anassya King, 18, of Valley Road, Milledgeville, was arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and released on $1,000 property bond, according to Baldwin County Jail report.
Saniya Lashae Moss, 18, of Karen Circle, Milledgeville, was charged with felony attempt to elude a police officer and felony theft by taking. She is being held without bond in Baldwin County jail. Moss also was charged traffic violations including failure to wear seatbelt, failure to use turn signal, no tag light, failure to drive within a single lane, driving without a valid license, failure to stop for a stop sign.
“Moss will also face charges here in Putnam County,” Sills said.