Following trial, a jury convicted James Grizzle on one count each of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of MDMA “ecstasy”, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, misdemeanor and felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and numerous traffic offenses. Grizzle appeals the denial of his motion to suppress evidence and the resulting convictions, arguing that the trial court erred in 1 finding that the impoundment and subsequent inventory search of his motorcycle was reasonably necessary; and 2 ruling that the opening of a bag, which was found during the vehicle inventory search, was lawful. For the reasons noted infra , we affirm. Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict,1 the evidence shows that in the early evening hours of June 21, 2008, several Georgia State Patrol officers set up a roadblock on State Highway 52 in Hall County to check motorists for compliance with licensing, insurance, registration, seat belt, and DUI laws. A short time after the officers began checking vehicles, a motorcyclist later identified as James Grizzle slowly approached the roadblock but then sped through, ignoring the officers’ orders to stop. A high-speed chase ensued, and then ended a few minutes later when the officers forced Grizzle’s motorcycle off the road and into a ditch. Immediately, the officers arrested Grizzle, who was amazingly uninjured, and, after finding over $4,000 in his pocket, placed him in the backseat of a patrol vehicle.
Subsequently, the officers ran a computer check on Grizzle’s license and determined that it was expired. At that time, the officers also determined that Grizzle’s motorcycle was uninsured and that its displayed license tag was registered to a different vehicle. Based on this information, the officers decided that they could not allow anyone else to drive Grizzle’s motorcycle, and that they would need to call a wrecker service to have the vehicle impounded. After calling the wrecker service, one of the officers conducted an inventory search of the motorcycle pursuant to Georgia State Patrol policy, which entailed listing in detail any items of value found in the vehicle. During that search, the officer found a zippered, red bag in the storage compartment under the motorcycle’s seat, which contained two bags of methamphetamine, a bag of MDMA ecstasy, and a loaded pistol.
