Update [February 27, 2015]: The driver who was fleeing police and who passed away in this accident was Isaac Turnage, 24.
Denton, TX — There was a serious car accident in Denton reported on Wednesday night of this week (February 25, 2015) that resulted in at least two people being injured. Police said that a Pontiac was fleeing officers that night when it crashed into a pickup truck, injuring a woman and child inside.
The child, 7, and the woman were both taken to a hospital, but were not in serious condition. The driver of the Pontiac, whom police believe stole the car, was much more seriously injured and later died at a hospital.
This accident happened at the intersection of McKinney Street and Audra Lane, they said. An orange Pontiac was fleeing pursuing officers after someone reported it stolen. The car apparently stopped for a moment, released a passenger, and then continued to speed away.
At the aforementioned light, the Pontiac crashed into the pickup truck and became disabled. Right now, no names are being released. The police claimed that they had stopped pursuing the Pontiac before it hit the pickup truck.
Map of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary:
The question of whether or not the police can be sued for causing a wreck while conducting a chase is a popular question and one that’s much speculated over. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer, but the basic gist of it is that, yes, police departments can be named in lawsuits if the negligence of their officers leads to an accident that hurts someone. The question that remains is whether the accident was caused due to the police’s negligence or someone elses? Was the police’s pursuit of the vehicle negligent or warranted? Did they follow protocol and were they being reasonably safe? Those are questions I can’t answer, obviously, but now you know what types of questions need to be asked in the first place.
— Grossman Law Offices
