Bainbridge Public Safety is searching for a man who ran from police after crashing his vehicle into a fence and leaving a child alone in the car with drugs.

Just after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Bainbridge Public Safety Officer Jayson Myers made a routine traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of MLK Jr. Drive and Lamar Street. 

Myers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and saw a young child standing on the seat, unrestrained. The driver, Aaron Jones, stated he had neither a driver’s license nor proof of insurance with him, and that the vehicle was a rental.   

Officer Leroy Akins arrived on scene to provide assistance. Myers and Akins approached  Jones and asked him to step out of the vehicle. Instead, Jones immediately sped off.   

Officer Myers returned to his patrol vehicle, activated his siren, and attempted to follow at a safe distance while keeping Jones’s vehicle in sight. He observed Jones run through a red light at MLK Jr. Drive and Sims Street, and then travel towards Wheat Avenue. As Officer Myers approached the intersection of MLK Jr. Drive and Wheat Avenue, he saw that the vehicle had hit a road sign and wrecked into a fence. He also noticed that the driver’s door was open. 

Myers approached the vehicle and verified that Jones was not inside. He then checked the backseat and saw the child was still inside the wrecked vehicle. Myers picked up the child, who was crying, but appeared to be unharmed. He then called for EMS.

Several witnesses said they saw the driver exit the vehicle and run north in the direction of the railroad tracks.

Additional BPS officers arrived on scene and began searching the area for signs of Jones. Once EMS arrived to check out the status of the child, Myers proceeded to search the vehicle. Located in the trunk was a child’s backpack that was found to contain drugs and paraphernalia including digital scales, two baggies of “Spice,” one baggy of “Ecstasy” tablets, two baggies containing powder cocaine and eight 9mm bullets.   

After clearing the scene, the vehicle was towed.

The case remains active and investigators are actively searching for Aaron Jones. Several warrants for Jones’s arrest have been obtained. If you have information as to the whereabouts of Aaron Jones, please call Officer Jayson Myers or Investigator Mark Esquivel at (229) 248-2038.