Tragic Crash Kills One on Interstate 285 in Clayton County in Georgia, (GA)

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA - Ajc.com writes that one person died in a tragic crash that occurred in the course of a police chase. The incident took place on Interstate 285.*

Reports indicate that a U-Haul was traveling on Interstate 75 when the driver attempted to elude the police. Police pursued the vehicle, and it collided with multiple cars before attempting to exit onto Interstate 675. An officer attempted to perform a PIT maneuver to stop the U-Haul, and the truck left the roadway and struck a tree. 

A passenger in the U-Haul was killed in the crash while the driver suffered severe injuries and was transported to the hospital. The investigation is still underway.

Police chases present dangers to everyone involved, as well as to innocent bystanders. Many believe that the risks outweigh the benefits. In Georgia, greater than half of police chases result in collisions, and almost half end in the suspects eluding the police. 

The decision to engage in a chase is one that must be made in an instant. The dangers posed by the public by the suspect must be compared to the risks that the chase will create. In many cases, police call off the chase because they realize that the dangers are too extensive. When officers are involved in a pursuit, they can sometimes end up with tunnel vision that causes them to make errors as well. 

The many dangers these chases present to the public led to Atlanta putting a halt on police pursuits this earlier year. 

Police say that drivers who see a pursuit should pull to the right side of the road. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/dead-after-clayton-county-chase-involving-stolen-haul-ends-crash/zPsRlYgIhtbjaO3VgqUsgJ/

https://www.wsav.com/crime-safety/when-are-police-chases-appropriate-we-asked-georgia-state-patrol/

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/breaking-atlanta-police-chief-halts-all-vehicle-chases/Oa9YietoId748P8VdQrh7I/#:~:text=City%20of%20Atlanta%20police%20officers,Chief%20Erika%20Shields%20said%20Friday.&text=A%20driver%20in%20a%20stolen,%2C%20killing%20her%2C%20police%20said.