Concrete Truck Left Running Stolen Monday in Columbia County
A concrete truck was stolen from a convenience store Monday morning, but the suspect was taken into custody after a pursuit through multiple counties.
An incident report says the truck, owned by SRM Concrete, was left running with the keys in the ignition at the Gas Pro station on Columbia Road just before 9 a.m. The driver told Columbia County deputies he parked the truck at the curb, ran inside to purchase a few items, then discovered the truck was missing when he returned minutes later. The driver said he called 911 immediately.
Deputies spotted the truck on I-20 and tried to stop the suspect, but he refused to pull over. The Georgia State Patrol picked up the chase at mile marker 183 and it continued through McDuffie and Taliaferro Counties. Authorities say tire-puncturing devices were used, but the suspect still refused to stop. One trooper finally disabled the truck by firing rounds into the vehicle’s radiator and hydraulic tanks.
Forty-one-year-old Erik Adam Bodie of Martinez was finally taken into custody at mile marker 141 in Greene County. He’s been charged with motor vehicle theft, and fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer.
Authorities say traffic was tied-up on I-20 for hours, thanks to wet concrete that spilled from the truck during the pursuit. Westbound lanes were closed between White Oak Road near Appling and Cobbham Road near Thomson.
