GSP trooper crashes into house during chase, nearly hitting renter

WINDER, Ga. — A man said he was nearly killed when a Georgia State Patrol officer crashed into the home he is renting.

The crash happened Friday night in Winder when the man said he was on his porch.

Steven Wilhem told Channel 2's Justin Wilfon he saw the trooper chasing a suspect and when the trooper tried to hit the suspect, the trooper lost control and crashed into the house.

“It happened very quickly. Never actually expected something like that," Wilhem said.

TRENDING STORIES:

Photos given to us by the family show the aftermath of the wreck.

“I was actually at the bottom of the steps, trying to work myself up and I barely got the door closed when he came through the house," Wilhelm said.

The photos from inside the house in Winder show where the patrol car put a dent in the wall.

Wilhelm said he and his wife, who was inside at the time, escaped unharmed.

“(It was) very terrifying. I’ve been through some very close encounters in life. That’s far beyond the closest," he said.

Wilfon reached out to Georgia State Patrol and so far, they have not explained why the trooper drove to the neighborhood or what led to the wreck.

Wilhelm said the trooper was chasing a suspect who troopers eventually caught after the crash. He believes the crash never should have happened.

"You have all rights to call off a chase when you come into a subdivision in a residential area. There’s children that play on that street.”

Cox Media Group