Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Martel Kyles
Gender : Male
Age :
Race : Black
Date : 08/24/2025
Location : Jimmie Dyess Parkway at I-20 on ramp
City : Grovetown
County : Columbia
State : Georgia
Agency : Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Driver killed by police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/24/2025, a deputy from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on a gold Toyota Camry near the Jimmie Dyess Parkway on-ramp to Interstate 20 east. The driver was identified as Martel Kyles, who was wanted for simple assault by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and known for violent tendencies. Police escalated a high-speed chase across multiple jurisdictions. He drove eastbound on I-20 and exited at Exit 195, proceeding onto Wheeler Road, then Belair Frontage Road.
Police report that he began losing control, entering oncoming lanes and continued. Yet despite this, police continued to chase him onto Park West Drive, Old Wheeler Road, and Wrightsboro Road at speeds above 100 miles an hour. Police deployed stop sticks at Wrightsboro Road and Hagin Road, puncturing the driver-side tires. A PIT maneuver was attempted but traffic conditions prevented it. Kyles ultimately lost control, hit a sign on John Deere Parkway, and his vehicle rolled, coming to rest on its roof. He was found ejected and unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger survived without serious injury.
