McDonough Man Refuses Plea Deal in High-Speed Chase, Death Case

A McDonough, GA man, charged in the 2013 high-speed chase on I-85 that resulted in the death of one of his passengers, will have his day in court.

On Tuesday, Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White said 23-year old Thanquarius Calhoun refused a plea deal and has opted to go to trial instead.

Calhoun was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, felony fleeing, driving under the influence drugs, and reckless driving.

The chase happened on May 14, 2013 when Banks County Sheriff’s deputies tried to stop a silver Toyota Corolla for speeding near exit 149.

Later that day, Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas told WLHR News said his officers were notified by Banks County that the speeding Toyota was heading north Franklin County deputies took up the pursuit near Exit 160.

“We received a call that the Toyota was headed into Franklin County on I-85 exceeding speeds of 100mph,” Thomas said late Tuesday afternoon. “We also had two deputies at Exit 166 and they put out stop sticks and attempted to stop the vehicle.”

Thomas said Banks County Sheriff’s deputies saw items being thrown from the Toyota as it sped up the Interstate.

Thomas said the suspects avoided the stop sticks and raced up the Interstate weaving in and out of traffic and also traveling on the shoulder passing vehicles at speeds of over 100mph.

The State Patrol joined in the chase and at one point, the driver of the Toyota lost control but was able to regain control and continue up I-85.

As the chase neared Lavonia, one of the GSP troopers got along side of the Toyota at which point Thomas said the suspect side swiped the trooper’s cruiser.

That caused the driver of the Toyota to lose control a second time.

“At that time, the driver went off the road down an embankment and struck a tree,” Thomas said. “One person inside the vehicle died at the scene, a second person was air lifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital and a third was taken to Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center in Lavonia.”

Thomas said one person inside the vehicle, a passenger, died at the scene.   She was identified as Marion Ahlexus Shore, age 19, from McDonough.

Calhoun’s trial begins next week in Franklin County Superior Court in Carnesville. For now, he remains in the Franklin County Detention Center.