High speed chase into Baldwin leads to arrest
After leading authorities on a high-speed chase into another county and back again, a Putnam man is in jail for the third time in less than a month.
“This hasn’t happened in quite a while where we’ve arrested somebody three times in 25 days,” Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said. “Obviously, we will be opposing him getting a bond this time.”
A woman called the sheriff s office around 2:45 p.m. Aug. 12 and reported that her husband, against whom she had a temporary protective order, had just beaten her. The woman said he had left the house, and she provided a description of the rental car he was driving, Sills said.
As Deputy Chris Donovan was responding to the call on Shellcracker Court, he reportedly saw the vehicle the woman had described, a black 2023 Jeep Gladiator, go past him in the opposite direction.
The deputy turned Bridges Road and U.S. 441, driving recklessly around, turned on the blue lights and crossing over the center line and siren of his patrol vehicle, and a pursuit .. began.
The driver, Timothy Jason Sayers, ran the stop sign at South Shore and * Blue Gill roads as well
as the red light at Twin along the way, Sills said.
Sayers turned south onto U.S. 441 and led the chase all the way into Baldwin County, exceeding 80 mph as he attempted to elude the law enforcement officers behind him.
“When he got into Baldwin County, he made an illegal U-turn in five lanes of traffic and headed back into Putnam,” Sills said. “He went straight back to his house which, of course, violated the TPO his wife had against him.”
Deputies took the man into custody at his house and took him to Putnam County jail.
Sayers, 44, of Shellcracker Court, Eatonton, is facing charges of battery - family violence, violation of the family violence order, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement officer, driving on wrong side of road, DUI alcohol refusal, failure to maintain lane, failure to stop at stop sign, failure to obey traffic control device, speeding, and reckless driving.
“Giving chase is one of the most serious crimes,” Sills opined. “If we don’t chase them, the criminals know they can run and get away with their crimes; but, if we do chase them, then they put the public in danger.”
According to Sills and jail records, Sayers was arrested last week (Aug. 12) for DUI, failure to drive within single lane, and open container. He was arrested July 27 for aggravated assault, reckless conduct, misdemeanor cruelty to children and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.