How Did a High-Speed Police Chase on I-20 Near Atlanta End in a 10-Vehicle Pileup That Killed a 7-Month-Old?

Quick answer: A Georgia State Patrol pursuit on Interstate 20 near Atlanta ended in a 10-vehicle pileup that killed the fleeing driver and a 7-month-old baby late Saturday night.

Key facts

• What: Police pursuit ending in a 10-vehicle pileup
• Where: Interstate 20 near the Candler Road and Wesley Chapel Road exits, DeKalb County, Georgia
• When: Late Saturday night, 10 October 2026
• Toll: 2 killed — 33-year-old driver Cameron Gabriel Kemp of Covington, and 7-month-old Kalayia Tolbert; two other infants in a struck vehicle (conditions not detailed)
• Source: Georgia Department of Public Safety, via Atlanta News First
• Status: Under investigation by the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team

What happened

A Georgia State Patrol trooper tried to stop Kemp's Audi sedan late Saturday night. Kemp briefly pulled onto the shoulder, then accelerated away and re-entered I-20 eastbound. He drove roughly 110 mph through a 60-mph zone, without headlights, weaving through traffic as the trooper pursued him.

The pursuit ended near the Candler Road and Wesley Chapel Road exits, where Kemp's Audi struck a guardrail and he lost control. The car slammed into multiple vehicles, triggering a pileup that ultimately involved 10 vehicles in all.

Kemp died at Grady Memorial Hospital. Kalayia Tolbert, the 7-month-old, died after being rushed to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Two other infants were riding in a separate vehicle that was struck; their conditions were not detailed in the department's account.

The driver's background

The department said Kemp was driving on a suspended licence and had two active arrest warrants — one for failing to appear in court and another tied to a probation violation. He had previously served time in the Georgia Department of Corrections on an aggravated battery conviction. Those details help explain, from the department's account, why Kemp may have chosen to flee rather than stop.

A wider pattern in Georgia

The crash comes amid mounting scrutiny of how often Georgia State Patrol chases turn deadly. State troopers initiated 6,760 pursuits between 2019 and 2023, and 3,428 of them ended in crashes that injured 1,917 people and killed 63, according to CBS News Atlanta. In 2023 alone, troopers were involved in pursuits on all but 14 days of the year, and 87% of those pursuits started over nonfelony violations.

Since January 2025, at least 13 people have died in police chases across metro Atlanta and North Georgia, with at least seven more deaths elsewhere in the state, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Georgia lawmakers have proposed House Bill 1011, which would require law enforcement agencies to adopt written policies governing vehicular pursuits in residential areas.

Frequently asked questions

### Who died in the I-20 police chase crash? Thirty-three-year-old Cameron Gabriel Kemp of Covington, the fleeing driver, died at Grady Memorial Hospital. Seven-month-old Kalayia Tolbert died after being taken to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Where exactly did the crash happen?

On Interstate 20 near the Candler Road and Wesley Chapel Road exits in DeKalb County, Georgia, east of Atlanta.

How fast was the fleeing driver going?

The Georgia Department of Public Safety said Kemp drove roughly 110 mph through a 60-mph zone, without headlights, weaving through traffic.

Why did the driver flee?

The department said Kemp was driving on a suspended licence with two active arrest warrants — one for failure to appear in court and one tied to a probation violation — and had previously served time for aggravated battery.

What happens next?

The GSP's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash. State lawmakers are considering House Bill 1011 on pursuit policies.