White County driver crashes, dies after speeding away from traffic stop, deputies say

Share Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A man is dead after White County deputies say he sped away from a traffic stop and crashed into a treeline on Wednesday morning. Deputies identified the man as 45-year-old Christopher Walden from Cleveland, the county seat. At around 4:10 a.m., a deputy tried to conduct a traffic stop on a burgundy Toyota allegedly not keeping to its lane in the area of Truelove Road and Putnam Road, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver refused to stop and went northbound on Highway 129 into Lumpkin County, deputies said. While on Highway 19, the car left the road while rounding a curve and struck multiple trees. White County deputies pulled Walden from the car and tried to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Georgia State Patrol is now investigating the incident. This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First as we learn more. Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.