A Rockmart man remains in jail on multiple charges following a chase involving several law enforcement agencies on January 25.

The Polk County Sheriffs Office was responsible for the report on the chase involving Zachary Stanton Shirah, 30, of a Rockmart address on Thursday evening, January 25, 2024 through the Fish Creek, Collard Valley and Aragon area that ended in front of Vulcan on Highway 101.

Per the Polk County Sheriffs Office report, Shirah was reported to 911 for laying drag at the intersection of Fish Creek and Wimberly Hill Roads around 7:10 p.m. When a Sheriffs deputy arrived before Polk County Police, they watched as Shirah in his vehicle had just completed creating a cloud of black smoke laying additional drag. Shirah then took off in a 2001 Mazda Miata and nearly struck several vehicles while the deputy gave chase first northbound on Fish Creek Road, then onward to Benefield Road, Collard Valley Road and down Highway 101.

When the chase reached Flint Hill Road, a responding Rockmart Police Officer with a K-9 unit was nearly struck head-on by Shirah, and barely avoided what the deputy described as a nearly fatal collision in front of him.

Shirah continued the chase, reaching speeds over 110 mph on Highway 101 and at one point turned off all his lights in an attempt to get away from police, but when he tried to turn into Vulcan Quarry met the locked and shut gate.

When he tried to turn around, he backed into the deputy’s car and was forced to stop.

Law enforcement who surrounded him afterward was “assisted to the ground” when he refused to comply with police orders after he was stopped.

The report noted that Shirah told officers at the scene he had drank before the incident occurred. Police found an empty beer bottle, another behind the passenger seat and a “bottle of brown liquor” in the passenger seat that had been opened but was not empty.

Officials also ultimately found a bag of narcotics inside the car, but did not immediately identify what it was. Shirah was taken to Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center for medical clearance before he was carried onward to the Polk County Jail.

His bond was denied following the incident and Shirah remains in custody on two felony counts of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and misdemeanor charges of expired registration, littering, too fast for conditions, failure to maintain lane, laying drag, failure to stop at a stop sign, lighted headlights/other lights required, DUI – less safe – alcohol, and reckless driving.