Waynesboro man dies after Augusta pursuit involving PIT maneuver

Tom Ellison, 31, of Waynesboro, died after a crash in south Augusta shortly after midnight Oct. 25, following a Georgia State Patrol pursuit. The Richmond County Coroner’s Office told WRDW that Ellison was pronounced dead at 12:28 a.m.

The crash was reported at Doug Barnard Parkway and Dixon Airline Road. HERE Augusta reported that troopers attempted to stop a gold Chevrolet Malibu on New Savannah Road near Skyview Drive at about 11:38 p.m. Oct. 24. The attempted stop and the crash were at separate locations.

What reports say happened i

HERE Augusta reported that the pursuit continued south along Doug Barnard Parkway near Center South Court. The outlet said the State Patrol reported that the Malibu spun, crossed the median and struck a tree. Ellison was taken to Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center.

WRDW reported that a PIT maneuver was initiated during the pursuit. AugustaCrime reported the State Patrol’s account in more detail: a trooper performed the maneuver, after which the Malibu rotated counterclockwise before entering the median and striking a tree. That is an attributed account of the sequence, not a final collision-reconstruction finding; the reports do not establish whether or how the maneuver contributed to the crash or Ellison’s death.

The reported time of the attempted stop and the coroner’s reported pronouncement time are about 50 minutes apart, calculated across midnight. That interval is not the pursuit’s duration: the exact collision time was not reported.

Investigation remains ongoing i

HERE Augusta reported that the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team was investigating and that an autopsy had been scheduled. It also reported that officials had not disclosed why troopers first attempted the stop. As of reports published through Oct. 26, 2026, no autopsy results or final reconstruction findings had been reported.