Mercer U Student Sapphire Thomas ID’d As Victim In Fatal Monroe County Pursuit Crash

MONROE COUNTY, GA. (THECOUNT) — Sapphire Faith Thomas of Stone Mountain, Georgia, has been identified as the victim in a fatal vehicle crash that was involved in a high speed pursuit, according to reports.

Thomas, 21, died and 25-year-old Erick Guillermo Tapia-Algeria, of Snellville, is under arrest, following a violent crash that began in Monroe County and ended in Macon Saturday night.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Dodge Charger for speeding on I-75 south around 8:45 p.m. when it fled from police.

Both Tapia-Algeria and Thomas occupied the vehicle.

“The Charger continued to travel I-75 south to I-475 south at high rates of speed,” deputies say. “Once on I-475, the vehicle exited at Zebulon Rd., but re-entered the interstate. The vehicle then exited at Eisenhower Pkwy. [in Macon], turned left and traveled towards Bloomfield Rd. At Madison Apartments,” reports WGXA.

Tapia-Algeria then lost control of the vehicle causing it to roll over several times. The vehicle then struck two other vehicles and came to a rest after hitting a building.

Thomas, who became entrapped in the vehicle, was transported to an area hospital where she was later pronounced dead of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

According to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says Thomas was a Mercer University student set to graduate in 2020.

Officials say, Tapia-Algeria is facing multiple charges in Monroe County.

Deputies say Tapia-Algeria was an escapee from a Probation Detention Center work detail in Gwinnett County and wanted in multiple counties for multiple warrants.

There is no word yet on the relationship of Tapia-Algeria and Thomas.

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Geo quick facts: Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,424. The county seat is Forsyth. The county was created on May 15, 1821. The county was named for James Monroe. Monroe County is included in the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area – Wikipedia.