When people try to evade police, they are putting themselves at risk. Not only could they be later facing legal consequences, but traveling at high speeds may endanger their own lives. Sadly, it’s not all that uncommon.
Two Tennessee men were killed in a car accident in Loudoun County earlier this week when a police chase turned deadly. The chain of events was apparently set off by a report of two burglaries in the area.
Officers were reportedly searching for a Chevy bronze pickup truck that was involved in the burglaries. An officer responding to an alarm at one of the burglarized businesses, Good Fellas Tobacco and Beer Outlet, on Highway 72, spotted the pickup. He called other officers, who took off after the truck. That’s when the chase ensued.
The driver of the Chevy truck would not pull over and ultimately crashed after a couple of miles when the driver lost control. The 45-year-old driver was killed, as was a 31-year-old passenger. Another passenger was injured and taken to a nearby hospital.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol was investigating the accident, but there doesn’t appear to be any wrongdoing by the police officers, at least according to the police chief. He says that the incident was reviewed and that the officers’ actions were in accordance with policies in the department.
The police officers were not injured in the incident. News reports didn’t indicate the condition of the injured passenger, who was recovering at UT Medical Center.
Source: WBIR, “Loudon officers involved in fatal pursuit ‘acted appropriately’,” June 5, 2012