McDonough motorcyclist killed fleeing police

By MARCUS K. GARNER and LARRY HARTSTEIN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The motorcyclist killed Sunday night while fleeing from police has been identified as 44-year-old John Frederick Freeman of McDonough, the Georgia State Patrol said.

Troopers doing speed checks on I-75 at Moores Mill Road recorded Freeman speeding southbound on a white Suzuki motorcycle, spokesman Lt. Paul Cosper said.

When the trooper squad car flashed its lights, Freeman fled, Cosper said.

The biker continued south through the Downtown Connector and around the Grady curve to the I-75/I-85 split.

“He took I-85 to Old National Road, where he lost control and struck the wall,” Cosper said.

Freeman flew over the wall near the Old National overpass and was hit and killed by an oncoming SUV in the northbound lane while the motorcycle skidded to a stop in the southbound lane, Cosper said.

“This could’ve been averted if the subject would have stopped,” he said.

The 21-mile chase began around 9:15 p.m. and lasted about 11 minutes, Cosper said.

The incident closed all northbound lanes of I-85 between Riverdale Road and I-285 for at least two hours.