Grandmother and child killed during police chase

I find it quite handy to look before proceeding into any intersection.

 

With so many people around here blowing through red lights at intersections (especially on hwy 70) I've taken that attitude as well.

 

Exactly. Going back to my first post on this thread, I ask......would it have made people feel any better if the original speeder (meaning who the cop was chasing) had hit the deceased?

 

I'm not opposed to a trooper using what he/she needs to stop someone. My personal point was that (a) it seems unclear that the speeder was actually attempting to elude the trooper, (b) if that much speed was warranted, and(c) if the trooper could have exercised a bit more caution. I want to know exactly how far the trooper traveled from the point he engaged the speeder to the time he hit the other car.

By the news accounts, it looks as if the trooper clocked the speeder doing 80. He made a U-turn across the median, perhaps having to wait for oncoming traffic or to find a break in the median, and began building speed. He would have probably reached 120 mph in about 3/4 a mile. (the car can hit 100 mph in the standing 1/4 mile). I would say that the collision occurred probably within about 1.5-2 miles after he began to pursue.

 

Has anybody else noticed that the days of pulling over when an ambulance, fire truck, or police car is coming up behind motorists are gone? I feel like I am the only person who does this sometimes.

 

I wondered about that too....and funeral processions.

 

:iagree:

 

Esp funeral processions, as that is not law but merely thoughtful consideration.

 

YES! And the other day on Cleveland Rd. me and the truck behind me pulled off to the shoulder to let an ambulance pass. Once the ambulance had passed the JERK in the green truck behind me actually PASSED ME before I could even get all the way into the road. And what really ticked me off is that he went less that 1/8 mile and turned into the Dollar General. Thanks, jerk.

 

The fact that the trooper was sliding at 95 mph, a fraction of a second before impact ...is relevant how? The relevant speed here is 120 since that determined the reaction time necessary to avoid the collision.

The fact that a collision happened proves the trooper did not have the necessary skills to be driving 120 through this intersection. At 120 mph through a red light, cross traffic is a given and he couldn't handle it. He should be charged with manslaughter and fired.

I will never forget this happening to a 16 year old girl who had only had her license a few days. She was killed the same way. The families should be awarded $1 billion from the state. No criminal is worth this kind of mistake by a trooper.

 

I'm sorry. But women above the age of 50 are oblivious to their surroundings on the road. If he had his lights and sirens going...wouldn't matter. The end result is what we have here. An example.

I work in RTP traffic at lunch is just simply CRAZY. One little old lady caused the traffic at the corner of miami and aleaxander simply stop. She didn't look at the light, she turned in the middle of traffic and didn't miss a beep. She couldn't see over the steering wheel hardly. It took over 15 minutes to clear up the jam she caused. So a light and siren wouldn't have mattered. Sexist? I don't give a crap. It happened.

 

I don't think he had a red light.

 

My mistake.

I agree with you SS, but the same can be said for teenagers, mothers with small kids in the car, etc. Unless we are going to give graduated licenses based on age and driving ability, and limit their time on the road, these are the conditions we accept. We then have to decide if we are willing to pit these drivers against a trooper going 120 mph through an intersection with no siren. Imagine if this were your grandmother, or your wife and screaming kids, or your 16 year old daughter. I for one, say hell no.

 

Radio waves travel much faster than cars. If it’s that important to stop someone, then maybe the trooper should radio ahead for a roadblock.

 

As CH stated I doubt the trooper had a red light based on the scene drawing. Also based on the initial scene investigation the driver of vehicle 2 failed to yield before making the left hand turn into the oncoming path of the trooper.

Now take into account that the trooper was in the process of slowing down, and had started to swerve to the right in an attempt to avoid the collision proves that he had the training that allowed him to react in the 88 feet before impact. At the time of impact he was estimated at 95 mph which equals 501,600 feet per hour or 8,360 feet per second. based on the fact that the skid mark was only 88 feet he only had .01 sec to stand on the brakes and swerve to the right in an attempt to avoid the incident. In that .01 sec. he had managed to scrub off 25 mph AND swerve in an attempt to avoid the accident. Can you imagine what would have happened if he hadn't had training to deal with the speed? The average person probably wouldn't have even had the reactionary time to hit the brakes or swerve

Lets see what you can in .01 sec.

 

While it is true that radio travels faster, radio can't tell you if the car turned onto a side street, pulled into a yard, etc. Not to mention that unless there is something going on it is not common to have several troopers with in a 1-2 mile radius to be able to step in and stop someone.

 

I heard this on the news and it said that she pulled out in front of the officer. It is not always the fault ofthe speed or the officer. This is sad but we have all pulled out i front of somone at least once and thought that it was not the smartest thing to do after the fact. Unfortunately, this maybe one of those cases with really bad consequences.

 

It's a hell of a lot safer to do 120 for a minute than to do 90 or three minutes. Longer chase times = more chance for danger.

 

Yes, as a matter of fact, I did it last week and thanked the good Lord there was nothing but property damage. Yeah, the other lady was speeding and I am pretty sure she was on her phone (I was NOT) but I STILL hit her and it was STILL my fault.

 

"8,360 feet per second" makes him one hell of an officer!!!! And I want to look under the hood!!:lol::lol: 30,096,000 MPH !!!!!!!

It's a math mistake, you left off one 60 division. That's 140 fps.

My look at it is from max acceleration. Deceleration is a factor but it applies to nano seconds in ratio. 120MPH is the starting point and max acceleration. Time should be measured from there to get an accurate finding. You're using impact speed.

What he did to avoid is irrelevant. Did she have time to see him? No