A man fleeing from Georgia Southern University Police Friday night racked up more charges when he fled and Bulloch County sheriff’s deputies joined the chase, authorities said.
    Around 10 p.m. Friday, Deputy Mark Guarino overheard radio traffic from GSU police regarding pursuit of a vehicle near campus.
    GSU police officers tried to stop Richard Tyler Osborne, 22, of Piedmont, S.C., for a traffic violation when he fled, Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson said.
    Guarino joined the chase to help GSU police and located Osborne’s vehicle on U.S. Highway 80 East near Cawana Road after seeing Osborne “make an illegal and wild U-turn,” he later stated in incident reports. Osborne turned onto Cawana Road and continued fleeing through Lowes’ parking lot and back onto Highway 80 East, Guarino said.
    Osborne “continued to flee at a high rate of speed until turning into Merrywood subdivision” and then pulled into a driveway, Anderson said.
    When Guarino stopped, Osborne got out of the car and ran.
    According to incident reports, the homeowner said Osborne was temporarily living with him. Guarino did not immediately locate Osborne, but upon inspecting the vehicle, smelled marijuana and found a part of a marijuana cigarette in the ashtray.
    A witness called the sheriff’s office a short time later and said he had spoken with Osborne, who eventually returned to the residence and was taken into custody, according to reports.
    Osborne told Guarino he “planned to leave the state … for South Carolina and in a few weeks, depart for France where he planned to join the French Foreign Legion,” according to reports.
    “He informed me that he was unable to join the United States military and was in the process of training for the French Foreign Legion by acclimating himself to the rugged outdoors, spending many nights in the woods behind his temporary home in the Merrywood subdivision,” the report reads.
    Osborne was charged with felony fleeing and attempt to elude, improper passing, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain lane, marijuana possession, illegal U-turn, failure to obey traffic control device, obstruction and reckless driving, according to reports.
    Osborne was taken to the Bulloch County Jail, where he remained without bond Monday, according to jail records.
    Although Guarino reported that Osborne almost collided with other drivers at least twice, no injuries or property damage was reported during the chase, Anderson said.
   
    Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.