A driver involved in a high-speed police chase crashed into two vehicles on the South Side of Chicago in early February, according to the Chicago Tribune, “injuring himself and another motorist.” The driver, a 25-year-old unnamed man, was spotted speeding near the intersection of 79th Street and Ashland Avenue, according to Police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro. When police tried to pull him over, the man continued driving and led officers on an eight-mile chase. The car stopped only when it crashed into two other vehicles. “A woman in one of the other vehicles was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, and the driver was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital,” according to the Tribune. Both were listed in good condition, and charges were pending for the driver.
According to Police Chief Magazine, “high-speed driving and pursuits are dangerous, risky part of police work.” Not only do they risk vehicle and property damage, there’s also the risk of personal injury or death of officers, suspects, and civilians. “These risks, and the accompanying risk of litigation, have caused many agencies to reconsider the value of high-speed driving and police pursuits.”
Litigation can follow a high-speed police chase if anyone was injured in the chase, namely, an innocent bystander like the woman injured in the Chicago incident this February. While it may not be the officer’s fault, per-se, leading a suspect in a high-speed chase is inherently dangerous, and a situation that an officer goes into knowing that he may danger a civilian.If you or someone you know has been injured in high-speed police chase, you may be eligible for compensation. Don’t go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Illinois personal injury attorney today.
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