A high-speed chase that began in Baldwin County on Nov. 16 raced through Jones County before ending in Putnam County. Once captured, the two Baldwin women in the car told authorities different stories.
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 initiated a traffic stop, and the Honda pulled into the parking lot of a closed gas station.
However, it then sped away and headed east on Hwy. 22, reaching speeds up to 100 mph. Henderson pursued, and the chase made a few turns, speeding and continuing through stop signs before entering Jones County.
In Haddock, the chase continued on Fortville-Milledgeville Road at speeds above the posted speed limits and flew past several stop signs without stopping. Henderson wrote in her report that she occasionally lost sight of the Honda but would catch up with it again.
The Honda driver turned onto State Route 129 and went into Putnam County, traveling at speeds between 80 and 100 mph. Noting “there was minimal traffic,” Henderson continued the pursuit and notified Putnam authorities.
According to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, Putnam County Deputy Sheriff Mark Adams set up at the intersection of SR 129 and SR 212 and stood on the shoulder of the road with spike strips ready. As the speeding Honda approached, Adams deployed the spike strips in the southbound lane, but the driver swerved around them.
“But 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 before crossing the center line and going off the road into a ditch to crash 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 observed.
In her report, Henderson said she saw the two people in the Honda jump into the backseat after the crash. The deputy got out of her vehicle with her gun drawn and gave verbal commands for both 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 Honda owner was contacted and later arrived to pick up her vehicle. The owner said Moss was her niece and lived with her.
The owner said Moss had taken the car, with her permission, around 8:30 p.m. to 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 missing. She called and texted Moss to return immediately with the 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 a $1,000 property bond, according to a 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 was also charged with traffic violations, including failure to wear a seatbelt, failure to use turn signals, no tag light, failure to drive within a single lane, driving without a valid license, and failure to stop for a stop sign.
“Moss will also face charges here in Putnam County,” Sills confirmed.