Once again, a high speed police chase has led to a crash. This time, three vehicles were involved. The Houston Police Department reported that the wreck happened on Thursday, March 8, 2018 near the intersection of Crosstimbers and Lockwood. HPD has detained two people, but other details of this incident have not yet been released.
Police face important public safety decisions when suspects decide to flee. On the one hand, citizens want police officers to arrest suspected law-breakers. And, we do not want criminals to evade capture by simply fleeing. On the other hand, a police chase itself poses serious risks to public safety. Innocent motorists may be hurt or killed by the fleeing suspects or even by law enforcement officers who are giving chase.
This issue is not limited to Houston, and in fact confronts communities all across our nation. Many cities have formulated policies that are reasonably effective at catching suspected violators while eliminating, or at least sharply reducing, the risk of high speed chases.
It is time for the City of Houston to form a panel of those who have experience with various aspects of police chases. The committee should be tasked with reviewing the policies of other cities, and the results they have obtained, when apprehending suspects who choose to flee. Based upon that investigation, the panel can determine and propose a “best practices” policy for Houston to adopt. The time to begin this process is now, before anyone else is injured.
If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.