Sheriff’s deputies helped find an elderly man who had been reported missing from his residence in the Vada community of northern Decatur County on Friday.

Sgt. Jason Williams helped search for the man in an airplane piloted by citizen Jimmy Rentz, while other deputies searched on the ground. Early Friday afternoon, about three hours after the man had been reported missing, deputies found his golf cart about 500 to 600 yards from his home.

Capt. Justin Logue said he and other deputies called the man’s name as they walked and were relieved when he answered them. The man was treated at the scene by Emergency Medical Service Personnel before being released to his family, Capt. Logue said.

Man flees from traffic stop

An unidentified man led Bainbridge Public Safety officers on a brief pursuit Friday afternoon after they attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Capt. Fred Black said.

At about 1:45 p.m. Friday, Cpl. Craig Carr was attempting to conduct a routine traffic stop near the intersection of College and Washington streets; however, the driver refused to stop. Cpl. Carr continued to follow the fleeing driver down College Street, through its busy-intersection with South West Street, onto Japonica Street and finally onto Shirley Drive, where the driver bailed out in front of a residence.

A witness reported seeing the suspect run inside a residence, but officers’ attempts to find the man were unsuccessful.

Death reported

BPS officers found 49-year-old Billy Tillman deceased in an abandoned car on the 400 block of North Lamar Street Thursday morning, Maj. Walter Landrum said. Tillman was found in a position that indicated he may have been sleeping in the car, and foul play is not suspected, Maj. Landrum said.

Labor Day traffic enforcement coming

Beginning Friday, Georgia State Patrol are working closely local law enforcement agencies to conduct concentrated traffic safety patrols for the Labor Day holiday. Georgia’s statewide Operation Zero Tolerance holiday enforcement crackdown began Aug. 21 and runs through Monday, Sept. 7.

Labor Day 2009 marks the fourth consecutive summer that Georgia has mobilized thousands of traffic enforcement officers to conduct high visibility sobriety checkpoints and concentrated patrols throughout the state as part of a national DUI enforcement campaign.

In Georgia the mobilization is called Operation Zero Tolerance (OZT) because even first-time violators go to jail. OZT means drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs never receive just a warning or citation. Impaired motorists caught driving at or over the 0.08 (BAC) limit are arrested.

Georgia’s crash data calendar shows the summer travel period here is one of the most dangerous times on our highways. The Georgia Transportation reported 1,660 traffic crashes last Labor Day just during the 78-hour travel period around the holiday. Nineteen people died and another 798 Georgians were injured. Four of those deaths were alcohol-related.

Five of last Labor Day’s fatal crashes occurred on interstate highways. Ten deaths were on state routes. Three were on county roads. And one occurred on a city street. Thirteen of those crash victims had something else in common: they weren’t wearing their safety belts when they died, according to the Governor’s Office for Highway Safety.

Highway safety officials say the best ways to stay safe are to designate a sober driver in advance, make sure everyone in riding in a car or truck is wearing their seatbelt—especially children—and to obey the posted speed limit.