Driver who died in chase was Walgreens robber, troopers say

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We have new details on the driver being chased by authorities when he crashed a car into a tree and died Thursday night: He was the robber of a local Walgreens who was being sought by authorities.

Richmond County deputies and the Georgia State Patrol were involved in Thursday night’s chase that ended near Warren Baptist Church in the 3200 block of Washington Road after the vehicle crashed into a tree and the driver was ejected.

GSP said the chase began at 8:51 p.m. when troopers from Post 25 Grovetown attempted to stop a stolen Honda Accord on Berkmans Road.

The driver failed to stop and a high-speed pursuit began.

The driver fled west on Washington Road, where he lost control and the vehicle crashed into a tree.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and suffered fatal injuries. According to Coroner Mark Bowen, the driver was pronounced dead on the scene at 10 p.m.

GSP said it learned the driver had committed an armed robbery this week at a Walgreens in Richmond County.

At the time of the pursuit, he had a handgun in his possession and was wearing the same gloves he had on during the armed robbery, GSP said.

He was identified as Kenneth Thomas Paige, 32 of Augusta. He has a prior conviction of armed robbery, GSP said.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office had reported the robbery on Tuesday of a Walgreens at 2493 Tobacco Road. That robber was last seen leaving the scene in a red sedan, possibly a Honda Accord, traveling north on Windsor Spring Road.

The traffic death was the most recent of a few in Augusta over the past few days.

Other fatal crashes:

• Richard Sims, 42, of Augusta, died after a crash that happened just after 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at Deans Bridge Road and Golden Camp Road. Sims, a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the crash, was pronounced dead at 6:49 p.m., Coroner Mark Bowen said Thursday.
• Just after 8:25 p.m. Monday, motorcyclist Paul Wilder, 41, of Loganville, died in a multiple-vehicle crash on Bobby Jones Expressway near Gordon Highway.
• Shortly before 3 p.m. Monday, pedestrian Nylaysia Nicole Okezie, 37, of Augusta, was killed in a traffic accident in the 1200 block of Gordon Highway.

Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.