A Macon woman who led law enforcement officers on a chase through downtown Gray entered a guilty plea for her offenses and is on her way to prison.
Charlyn Gwentte Worthy was in Jones County Superior Court Sept. 6 to enter pleas to the felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police officers and a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.
Worthy was sentenced to 10 years for the fleeing charge and 12 months for shoplifting. The sentences will run concurrently for a total of 10 years with the first year served in confinement. The remainder of the sentence may be served on probation.
The defendant will receive credit for time served in custody from her May 28 arrest.
Worthy was indicted on the charges by a Jones County Grand Jury July 19.
According to a story of her arrest in The Jones County News, Worthy’s presence in Gray was first brought to the attention of officers when Gray Police Department Lt. Jacob Hunnicutt got a hit on a tan Honda Civic from a Flock camera the afternoon of May 28. The alert was in reference to a warrant. Hunnicutt attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver fled.
About 6 p.m. that evening, Jones County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Thomas Sullivan said he received a ‘be on the look out’ alert for a tan Honda sedan in connection to a shoplifting in Haddock. Sullivan said he spotted the Honda on West Clinton Street as Hunnicutt turned around and got behind it.
In his report, Hunnicutt said he recognized the Honda from earlier. He knew it had no insurance, and the owner had a revoked license and valid warrant.
GPD officers Paul Hathaway and Daniel Pointer joined the chase, and Sullivan said he fell in behind.
Hunnicutt went into detail in his report about the reckless driving of the person, later identified as Worthy, through downtown Gray. He said traffic was heavy, and she was going 60 in 35 mph zones, erratically switching lanes and cutting in and out of traffic.
The Honda ran through the red light at Bill Conn Parkway and Lite-N-Tie Road at that time increasing speed to 95-100 mph.
As they approached Tractor Supply, the lieutenant said he slowed so Pointer, who is a PIT certified officer, could come around to get in position to perform the maneuver to stop the Honda.
After passing through the intersection of the bypass, Hunnicutt said the Honda almost ran into a truck in the right lane. The vehicle swerved to miss the truck. The driver lost control, skidded across both lanes of traffic, almost striking multiple vehicles.
The officer said the Honda started rotating and slid down the embankment. When the Honda came to rest, the driver exited and fled into the woods. Hunnicutt said Pointer gave chase and took her into custody.
The lieutenant said a vehicle inventory was done. He said a black trashcan in the back seat of the Honda was full of t-shirts, tank tops and boxer shorts of all sizes. He said the car also contained an ice maker, inflatable pool and a large pile of miscellaneous clothes, all with tags still on them.
Hunnicutt said the items were believed to have been taken from multiple locations.
