Mother in Law takes a head on hit in police chase
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Altha Florida
Posts: 184

Police were pursuing lady with Felony warrants. She was driving erratic they tried to toss out spike strips. She swerved to get around them and hit her head on. This happened on a 2 lane road in Altha shortly after school let out. Thankfully she walked away from it with minor bruises but was sent to Tallahassee hospital for observation. The local officer told me the lady was doing about 85mph when she hiit her, Lady had Felony warrants, no Drivers License, no insurance, was under influence of meth, had drugs in car.
Mother in Law was in a Lincoln Navigator. Was tossed back 40' and spun around, Other was a midsize SUV ended upside down in a ditch.
Not to cast blame or disrespect on the PD's that were pursuing but why continue a high speed chase into a small town where kids and folks are out and about. They knew who she was why not call it off for safety and apprehend another day.



Mother in Law was in a Lincoln Navigator. Was tossed back 40' and spun around, Other was a midsize SUV ended upside down in a ditch.
Not to cast blame or disrespect on the PD's that were pursuing but why continue a high speed chase into a small town where kids and folks are out and about. They knew who she was why not call it off for safety and apprehend another day.



#3
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,860

As the population grows, these incidents will be on the rise too. No reason EVER to own tiny cars for loved ones to travel in. Heavy is better...PERIOD.
Glad she's ok.
I want cops to catch bad people. That's what my tax dollars are for.
Glad she's ok.
I want cops to catch bad people. That's what my tax dollars are for.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,030

Glad she is OK, looks like the truck did well. I'm going to say that the other drive wasn't going 85 at the time of impact... luckily.
Tough call on when to not chase. If she's on meth and already on the run, nobody is safe at that point.
Reason number #1 we (wife, kids, me) say who cares about FE and get large vehicles.
Tough call on when to not chase. If she's on meth and already on the run, nobody is safe at that point.
Reason number #1 we (wife, kids, me) say who cares about FE and get large vehicles.
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
Posts: 3,078

Yes, we all want to have huge cars. like in the 60's. Anyone who has driven a while knows that heavier is not usually better. Just ask me who tried to take an unexpected hairpin curve in a 4000lb 1965 Chrysler. Car went where it wanted, not where I wanted it to go. I sold the wreckage and bought a 2400 lb sports car, took turns like on a rail. Now if everyone had a tiny car, they would drive safer and create less carnage, wouldn't they.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,860

Yes, we all want to have huge cars. like in the 60's. Anyone who has driven a while knows that heavier is not usually better. Just ask me who tried to take an unexpected hairpin curve in a 4000lb 1965 Chrysler. Car went where it wanted, not where I wanted it to go. I sold the wreckage and bought a 2400 lb sports car, took turns like on a rail. Now if everyone had a tiny car, they would drive safer and create less carnage, wouldn't they.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,030

Yes, we all want to have huge cars. like in the 60's. Anyone who has driven a while knows that heavier is not usually better. Just ask me who tried to take an unexpected hairpin curve in a 4000lb 1965 Chrysler. Car went where it wanted, not where I wanted it to go. I sold the wreckage and bought a 2400 lb sports car, took turns like on a rail. Now if everyone had a tiny car, they would drive safer and create less carnage, wouldn't they.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
I want cops to catch bad people too, but sometimes the pursuer is the guilty one.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 152

This sounds like a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation for the police. If they called off the chase and the meth-head hit a kid, they're crucified. Luckily your MIL is ok. Wish they had stronger means of restitution for cases like this. Sell her to the highest bidder to work off her debt to your MIL.
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
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What???? I scrapped the 1965 Chrysler for a 1961 Mercedes. How is that old versus new? Get your facts in a row first. There may be nothing you can do to protect you after being hit by a 20 ton semi. But there is something you can do to possibly avoid that. Your 6000 lb SUV won't stand a chance....either way.
Last edited by GaryDoug; 11-01-2019 at 09:23 PM.
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Altha Florida
Posts: 184

All I heard was the other driver had dislocated or broken shoulder and banged up. She went to Tallahassee hospital too. Don't know much about her other than she is 29. MiL is in pretty good spirits about it other than having to buy a new vehicle since lady has no insurance. That Navigator is completely twisted. It saved her life for sure.
#13
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Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
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#14
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
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What 60 years? What are you taking about? I drove a big Ford rental car about 6 months ago that practically refused to go around corners. I rented a 2018 SUV last year and noticed the same limitation. A few months ago I rented a pickup truck with the same dismal characteristics. Have you never driven a real car in your dumb life? I see virtually no progress. What I do see is an effort to maximize the big car owner's impact on the rest of us. I am sure you are the same type.
#15
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Posts: 864

We get it, you’re anti-police. Do you have an alert for every time a thread pops up that pertains to law enforcement in any way, you can post something about what they did wrong, or they think they a are seal team. It’s your opinion, and I fully support Freedom of Speech, but dang man, every post has you trashing LEOs. Is your record haunting you that much?
#16
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
Posts: 3,078

We get it, you’re anti-police. Do you have an alert for every time a thread pops up that pertains to law enforcement in any way, you can post something about what they did wrong, or they think they a are seal team. It’s your opinion, and I fully support Freedom of Speech, but dang man, every post has you trashing LEOs. Is your record haunting you that much?
So you did not answer my question did you? That's because the answer would be no, wouldn't it?
#17
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 270

To pursue or not is actually a harder question to answer that people think.
A pursuit in itself is a hazard to the officer, suspect and the public. For this reason, most departments have adopted forcible felony only policies. I agree with this policy, but there are a few things to consider
Just because you stop chasing them, doesn’t mean they stop running. They very often crash even if the officer does not pursue. They tend to be looking over their shoulder trying to figure out if you’re still chasing them while running red lights and stop signs. There are no flashing lights and sirens to warn other people that something out of the ordinary is happening. If they do crash the officer is not on scene immediately to render and call for aid.
People tend to flee more if they think you won’t pursue them which leads to the situation above.
Often, the suspect’s identity is not known during a pursuit. Most of the time it’s not as simple as “ pick them up later.” It may be months, if ever, before the suspect is identified.
in my experience, the best outcome is to get stop sticks under them as soon as possible and end it before it becomes a big thing.
in your case, this may have just played out 5-10 times the same way. Find her, light her up, let her go, go to her house, no answer at the door, rinse and repeat.
Pursuits just aren’t as black and white as people like to make them out to be.
A pursuit in itself is a hazard to the officer, suspect and the public. For this reason, most departments have adopted forcible felony only policies. I agree with this policy, but there are a few things to consider
Just because you stop chasing them, doesn’t mean they stop running. They very often crash even if the officer does not pursue. They tend to be looking over their shoulder trying to figure out if you’re still chasing them while running red lights and stop signs. There are no flashing lights and sirens to warn other people that something out of the ordinary is happening. If they do crash the officer is not on scene immediately to render and call for aid.
People tend to flee more if they think you won’t pursue them which leads to the situation above.
Often, the suspect’s identity is not known during a pursuit. Most of the time it’s not as simple as “ pick them up later.” It may be months, if ever, before the suspect is identified.
in my experience, the best outcome is to get stop sticks under them as soon as possible and end it before it becomes a big thing.
in your case, this may have just played out 5-10 times the same way. Find her, light her up, let her go, go to her house, no answer at the door, rinse and repeat.
Pursuits just aren’t as black and white as people like to make them out to be.