Driver Fleeing From Police Crashes into Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, NC- According to 13newsnow.com, a driver led officers on a 30-mile long police chase this week before colliding with a church. The incident took place when the suspect, a 22-year-old man, fled from officers who attempted to stop him for speeding.*
The suspect was in a stolen SUV at the time of the chase. When the driver attempted to turn near the church, he ended up colliding with a police vehicle before striking the building. Officers were able to apprehend the man and place him under arrest.
Police chases are controversial because of the risks that they present to the people involved in the chase, but also to innocent bystanders on the road. Studies have indicated that thousands of bystanders have died in crashes caused by police chases. The risks of a police pursuit are fairly obvious. These incidents often occur at high speeds and involve unpredictable suspects. The most common victim in a police chase is the suspect. However, passengers in the car and bystanders are the next most likely people to be killed in these wrecks.
Some cities have limited police chases to instances in which a suspect is a violent felon. This is because there are often questions regarding whether the chase is justified. If the suspect is a non-violent offender, the chase might be more dangerous than the person being pursued. An analysis of chases in California indicated that 89 percent of pursuits were in response to a vehicle-code violation. Only five percent of the chases were a response to a violent criminal. A smaller number were initiated for something as minor as the driver failing to wear their own seatbelt.
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Sources:
https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/crime/north-carolina-man-trying-to-elude-police-crashes-suv-into-church/291-3915588b-bd2b-4be6-b255-a20554a68766
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/30/police-pursuits-fatal-injuries/30187827/