In a bizarre accident in Tennessee last year, a man crashed into a tree after a chase with a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper. The man died in the auto accident, and now his family is saying the trooper drove right by the man’s vehicle without checking on his condition for at least several minutes. The family is suing the THP trooper for $10 million.
The incident happened last November. The man was apparently traveling at about 80 mph in a 40 mph zone and was being pursued by the officer. Volunteer TV’s website reports that the trooper’s “dash cam” video shows the ensuing events.
The chase didn’t last long and ended when the man crashed into the tree. The man’s family claims the video shows the trooper driving past the man’s car, where he was injured inside. After that he apparently pulled over farther up the road and waited for several minutes while listening to dispatchers.
When the trooper returned to the man’s car, it was on fire. Volunteer TV’s story says that the man ran toward the vehicle with a fire extinguisher “just to make it look good” for the media. The autopsy apparently revealed the man died instantly in the crash, but the man’s family might argue there was no way the officer could have known that.
No criminal charges were filed relating to the crash. The trooper, however, has faced several unrelated disciplinary actions since joining the THP in 2002.
Source: Volunteer TV, “A Knoxville family sues THP trooper for $10 million,” Sharee Gilbert, Feb. 2, 2012