A stolen car fleeing from police ran a red light, triggering a multi-vehicle accident which left eight people injured. The incident in Murietta, California has left people shocked and local news once again scrutinizing police pursuit policies.
Why did police leave an injured teenager trapped in his car?
We don’t know which of several cars captured in footage of the chaotic aftermath of the crash was stolen. Among them is an old white Acura Integra, which is a strong candidate since thieves and the criminal element have a tradition of being attracted to them like a moth to the flame.
The accident, which The Sun reports happened about 11 am on March 5, involved the stolen vehicle and three other cars. None of the eight injured suffered critical injuries, although two had to be extricated from their vehicle by firefighters.
Police tried to conduct an enforcement stop on the stolen car, although it’s not clear from the report whether they knew the vehicle was reported stolen at the time. The suspects, a male driver and female passenger, took off.
After the crash, which sent the male and female suspects to the hospital, police found enough meth to charge them with possession with intent to sell. The driver was also charged with evading an officer and causing injury plus violating parole. We’re not shocked he’s apparently a repeat offender.
Also included in the report is that the chase had to be approved by a sergeant and was still active when the suspects ran the red light, triggering the crash. We’ve seen many times in police chases which end in crashes all the scrutiny put on police, with very little directed at the people fleeing. But we’ve also seen chases terminated and suspects still cause crashes that are sometimes fatal.
The debate about when and how police should chase suspects continues.
Image via KeyNewsNetwork/YouTube
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