Police Arrest Two Juveniles After They Crash Into Multiple Vehicles in Stolen Car

FLORENCE, SC- Wpde.com writes that two juveniles stole a car and then crashed into multiple vehicles in Florence this week. The crash took place in the late evening when officers saw a car that had been reported days earlier as having been stolen.*

The stolen car was traveling southbound on Irby Street, and police attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver tried to flee and pulled the car onto Third Loop Road before entering a parking lot and colliding with several vehicles. The suspects are now facing multiple charges. 

Police chases often result in car crashes. These chases have become increasingly controversial because of the likelihood of a chase resulting in a crash. 

One retired officer who spent three decades on the police force stated that many of these chases are unnecessary. He explained that officers sometimes take a suspect’s attempt to flee as a personal affront, and therefore become focused on catching the person, and not on the possible collateral damage. 

When a police agency lets the officers use their own discretion about when to pursue a suspect, the rate of chases is an average of seventeen a year for every 100 officers. The numbers drop significantly to just two per every 100 officers when the agency takes steps to discourage these pursuits. 

The idea behind limiting car chases is that the chases can often become a greater threat than the suspected criminal. In many places, pursuits may only be warranted if the suspect is believed to be a dangerous felon. Additionally, on some roads, chases are strongly discouraged. The retired policeman stated that the reality of chases is not like what is seen in movies or on television. When a person who was trying to cross the road is lying in the street because they were hit in the course of the chase, people see the reality of these high-risk endeavors. 

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Sources:

https://wpde.com/news/local/two-juveniles-arrested-after-stolen-vehicle-crashes-into-three-cars-in-florence

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/10/19/death-toll-keeps-rising-from-police-chases/