Another Police Chase: Another Tragedy

It seems that everyday our personal injury lawyers open the paper, we read about another wrongful death in the context of a high speed police chase. One such case occurred this past weekend in Augusta, Georgia when a Sheriff’s Deputy was chasing a 19-year old suspect. Initially the officer involved pulled the suspect over and was provided his ID and driver’s license. Thus, the officer knew who the suspect was and where he lived. While the officer went back to his car to check on his tags, the suspect took off. A chase commenced but during the chase the officer was advised by his supervisor to terminate the chase because of the danger to the public. The supervisor advised this officer not once, but twice to terminate the chase but he did not do so. The predictable result ensued, that being that while the suspect was fleeing at 80 to 85 miles per hour he ran through an intersection and broadsided another car with the result that an innocent third party was killed. Once again, a high speed police chase occurred involving a non-violent felony and an innocent person paid the price for this reckless disregard of proper police procedure with their life.
Finch McCranie, LLP recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Augusta within the last few weeks alleging another wrongful death in another high speed pursuit. In that case, the police were chasing a suspected shoplifter. Again, the danger presented by the offense that was the basis of the pursuit was far outweighed by the danger presented to the public by the chase itself. In that case, 3 people were killed including an unborn child. In the most recent case which occurred this past Saturday, what is most disturbing is that the officer continued to chase the known suspect after being advised that he should terminate his pursuit. Allegedly, the officer claims that the did not hear the directive given to him over his radio. While this seems questionable, it is clear that if the officer’s supervisor thought the pursuit should have been terminated the officer himself should have realized this well before the fatal collision.
What is most disturbing about these cases in Augusta is that they are representative of cases occurring throughout Georgia and elsewhere. Indeed, we had just posted an article to this Blog about the death of a 21 year old Sgt. at Fort Benning, Georgia where the police were chasing a juvenile for joyriding in a stolen pickup truck when this most recent death in Augusta occurred. Indeed, as of the writing of this entry to our blog, our lawyers have filed 6 different lawsuits involving 8 deaths all arising in the context of high speed pursuits.
What the public does not realize is that the number of victims nationwide in high speed pursuits is greater than the number of victims killed in the 911 destruction of the World Trade Towers. Indeed, the number of those killed and maimed in high speed pursuits are similar to the number of those killed and maimed in the Iraq war. This is a nationwide problem which is particularly acute here in Georgia. And yet, the chases (for non-violent offenders) continue and the innocent die. When will the madness stop?
Our attorneys at Finch McCranie, LLP will continue to represent the interests of innocent victims. Hopefully, litigation will curb these unwarranted and dangerous police chases. The goal is to get the police community to recognize that they should only chase for violent offenders and should not chase when the danger to the public caused by the chase outweighs the danger presented by the suspect. If enough Georgia juries intervene and condemn these chases with their verdicts, hopefully, lives in Georgia will be saved.