Man dies after police chase

A Martinez man died early Saturday after his motorcycle crashed into a utility pole during a pursuit by Richmond County sheriff's deputies.

Richmond County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Bowen identified the man as Richard Alan Courtney, 46, of the 200 block of Rose Street.

Mr. Courtney died in the accident after 2 a.m., when the chopper-style motorcycle with high handlebars struck the utility pole as he sped up the 1800 block of Central Avenue near Family Dollar, Mr. Bowen said.

He said an autopsy was performed Saturday morning at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab on Phinizy Road.

The coroner said alcohol probably was a contributing factor to the accident and that officials learned Mr. Courtney had been at the Honky Tonk in the 1600 block of Gordon Highway before the chase.

Sheriff's deputies first saw Mr. Courtney while he was driving erratically without his lights on, including driving on the wrong side of the road, on Central Avenue near Heard Avenue, said Georgia State Patrol Trooper 1st Class Chris Wright, of the agency's Thomson post.

Mr. Courtney fled when the deputies tried to pull him over, the trooper said. As his driving became more erratic, they backed away.

As they came around a curve near Murphy Street, they saw sparks and smoke, then saw that Mr. Courtney had hit the utility pole.

Trooper 1st Class Wright said Mr. Courtney's driver's license was suspended for a previous charge of driving under the influence, and he also had many warrants for his arrest.

Those warrants included an aggravated assault charge, but the trooper said he wasn't sure from what jurisdiction. Mr. Courtney also faced simple battery and cruelty to children charges in Grovetown, along with a probation violation.

The custom-made motorcycle never had a vehicle identification number assigned to it, as is required by state law, Trooper 1st Class Wright said, and had an old license tag from a 1979 motorcycle affixed.

Mr. Bowen said Mr. Courtney was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but the helmet was thrown from his head about 25 feet when the motorcycle crashed into the pole.

The front wheel of the motorcycle broke off and traveled 40 feet, he said.

Reach Jeremy Craig at (706) 823-3409 or jeremy.craig@augustachronicle.com.