A recent police chase in St. Joseph ended with a car accident that seriously hurt two others in another vehicle – a father and his infant child. The incident showcases, once again, the significant dangers that innocent bystanders face in a police chase.
Driver Flees Traffic Stop, Police Initiate Chase
The incident happened yesterday night, on Tuesday, December 27, 2016. At about 10pm, Kansas police from the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Department saw a car driving over the bridge into Kansas with a broken taillight and improper identification tags. However, when the police initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle turned and fled back across the bridge into St. Joseph.
With police hot on his tail, the fleeing Cadillac careened through the streets of St. Joseph at up to 70 miles per hour.
Chase Ends in High-Speed Car Accident
As the police chase raced southbound on South Belt Highway, a father was exiting the Walmart right in front of it. In the back of his car was his infant child. He pulled out into the intersection at just the wrong time and the fleeing Cadillac, which was driving about 60 miles per hour at the time, was unable to avoid the collision. It slammed into the front of the innocent driver’s sedan.
Both the father and infant child were seriously hurt in the car accident. While their injuries are not considered life-threatening, they could nevertheless be debilitating and life-altering.
The fleeing suspect was also seriously hurt in the crash. He was arrested and is set to face criminal charges in both Kansas and Missouri.
Police Chases Put Innocent Lives in Danger
Police chases might make for some great TV, but in real life they are incredibly dangerous. With police and fleeing criminals careening through the streets at unsafe speeds, it is often innocent bystanders who get put in the most danger. This is because bystanders are often ignored or, worse, used in a police chase: The police are more concerned with apprehending the suspect, while the fleeing suspects often try to use other cars to shake off the pursuit.
Barely a month ago, a police chase outside of Kansas City had a similar result: An innocent driver was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the speeding suspect slammed right into them.
These are not isolated incidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that 10,642 people were killed in police chases in the 32 year period of 1982 – 2014. Additionally, USA Today found that half of those killed in a police chase are innocent bystanders or passengers in the chased vehicles.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Car accidents often lead to serious personal injuries. When those car crashes are caused by police pursuing a suspect, it can make you feel like a victim. The personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office in St. Joseph work to make sure you get the compensation you need and deserve after being hurt in a car accident that was caused by a police pursuit. Contact us online or call our St. Joseph law office at (816) 875-9373 for the legal representation that you need.