During the chase, the officer’s PIT maneuver caused a direct crash, highlighting the dangers of aggressive pursuit techniques
- Georgia State Police chased a Mazda 3 for 20 miles before using a PIT maneuver.
- The high-speed chase reached speeds over 100 mph and narrowly avoided crashes.
- The police pursuit ended in a collision with a Chevrolet Malibu and Toyota Camry.
A recent police chase in Georgia serves as yet another reminder of how far officers are willing to go when a suspect refuses to pull over. Over the course of 20 tense miles, the driver of a Mazda 3 dodged capture, weaving through traffic and pushing the car to its limits. But as congestion thickened, so did the odds against them.
The whole thing plays out on dashcam, and the way it ends has reignited debate over the Georgia State Patrol’s pursuit tactics.
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According to the video description, the lead trooper initiated a traffic stop before the video began. Rather than stop, the driver fled and the pursuit was on. The suspect runs stop signs, red lights, and drives into oncoming traffic at times to evade officers. None of that stops the Georgia State Police from chasing him.
Threading The Needle At 100 MPH
Instead, they continue to gain ground while narrowly avoiding crashes the whole time. The description says the Mazda peaked at speeds over 100 mph (160 km/h) at various instances. Nevertheless, every time it seems as though the officer might be able to PIT the Mazda, traffic pops up and makes that impossible.
At one point, they end up stopped at a construction zone only for cars to move out of the way and the chase to continue. It’s only when speeds slow and traffic becomes heavy that the officers commit to the PIT maneuver. When they do, they spin the Mazda into a Chevrolet Malibu. Then, the officer rear-ends a Toyota Camry. At least they got their suspect though. Now, the driver is allegedly facing charges related to the possession of marijuana and fleeing police.
Collateral Damage: Who Pays?
Did the police act recklessly in this incident? Well, the suspect clearly crashed as a result of the officer’s PIT maneuver, and a police cruiser also rear-ended the Camry. However, it’s not guaranteed that the police will cover the damages or the loss in value for the Toyota and Chevy. As we recently saw in a similar case in Cincinnati, the vehicle owners would need to prove that the officers acted with “reckless disregard” when initiating the PIT in order to hold the department financially responsible.
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If they can meet that burden, the department could be on the hook for damages. Maybe that’s why the Atlanta Journal Constitution has criticized GSP’s pursuit policy, describing it as “one that often poses more danger to the public than the people being chased.”