The speed and recklessness involved in most police chases make it easy to see why many of them end in crashes. The unfortunate thing about these crashes is that innocent motorists often find themselves involved. A fatal crash in Tennessee on Oct. 23 demonstrates the danger the public faces when police chases occur and car accidents result.
This chase is not the action-filled, high-speed adventure chase that gives a sense of exhilaration to so many fans of the movies shown today. In this recent crash, the two people in the car being chased died, and two innocent motorists were injured in the four-vehicle tragedy. The accident was preceded by a chase that was taking place in Dickson on US Highway 70 eastbound.
The fleeing driver lost control of his vehicle, crossed lanes and went into oncoming westbound traffic, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The car flipped in the westbound lane, causing two other cars to crash into each other and strike a fourth car. The operator of the fleeing vehicle and his passenger were both ejected and died. Two innocent motorists were injured in the chaotic twist of vehicles. Five others who were involved were reportedly uninjured.
The fleeing motorist is responsible for any injuries or deaths created by his negligent and reckless driving. Additionally, on occasion in Tennessee and other states, innocent victims of such car accidents are successful in making claims against the police departments involved. Sometimes, the aggressive driving and/or investigative tactics of the police are seen to be careless, reckless and unnecessarily provocative under the circumstances. With the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, injured victims of car accidents, regardless of their causes, can pursue compensation for their injuries.
Source: wkrn.com, “2 killed, 2 injured in multi-vehicle crash in Dickson”, Oct. 24, 2015
