Police Chases.

High speed police chases kill hundreds of people—including law enforcement officials, alleged criminals and innocent civilians—each year in the United States. The wrongful deaths and personal injuries caused by a police chase makes them one of top causes of car accidents. While authorities are engaged in high-speed police chases to capture a fleeing suspect, there can be a disregard for the safety of other drivers as officers continue the chase well after the danger outweighs the need to apprehend the suspect.

That is why two-thirds of those injured or killed in fatal car accidents stemming from a police chase are innocent drivers and pedestrians that have nothing to do with the chase.

Our car accident attorneys are especially sensitive to news involving police chases and are concerned that the police might be putting the public at risk when trying to catch someone who’s breaking the law.

Pursuits by law enforcement on the road are even more dangerous than commonly thought. More people in the United States are killed by high speed pursuits than they are by police firearms, and yet, these wrongful deaths from car accidents will likely continue year after year. That is why we must convince police departments to modify their pursuit policies to only chase offenders when the following occurs:

It is safe to follow and pursue a suspect.
Only chase a fleeing driver when forcible felonies are involved.

In a minor case, such as a shoplifting incident, it makes little or no sense for the police to pursue such a suspect at high speeds in a metropolitan area where it is likely to hurt innocent bystanders. When the police chase a suspect for a non-violent act or a minor offense and someone is killed, then, we as a society must ask ourselves if the good outweighs the bad.

Some of the most enlightened police departments throughout the country have neglected to establish chase policies. Yet, even with the police departments that have pursuit policies, the average patrol officer receives little or no training about the terms of such rules.

In short, the best laws are those which emphasize that the officers in pursuit must always be aware that, during any police chase innocent, drivers can be killed or injured in a car accident. This will require them to assess whether the need to capture the fleeing driver is greater than is the need to protect the public from potential auto accidents caused by the police chase. Of course, do not forget that law enforcement have alternative ways to keep track of drivers that evade capture, helicopters for instance.

It is important for officers to be able to make calm, rational decisions in a police chase. Doing so would lead to overall safety of the general public and prevent needless car accidents.

Call Our Lawyers If You’ve Been Injured From A Car Accident Caused By A Police Chase

If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by a police chase then call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. Since 1992, our San Diego law office has been geared primarily towards auto accident claims. We know how the insurance companies work, so let our insider knowledge help you in your time of need.

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[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.