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Police Chase Ends With Four Fatalities
April 1, 2019
I-10 westbound was closed in Baldwin County Monday between the Beach Express and Loxley due to a traffic crash with four fatalities.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office says the crash resulted from a wrong-way driver being chased by deputies. According to a statement released by the Baldwin Sheriff’s Office:
A Baldwin County deputy attempted to stop a newer model sedan eastbound on I-10 near the 49 mile marker after the deputy witnessed a moving violation. The suspect accelerated in an attempt to outrun the deputy. The vehicle exited I-10 at the Wilcox exit and re-entered the interstate westbound.
The vehicle then exited the interstate and went southbound on the Baldwin Beach Express. The vehicle did a U-turn on the Baldwin Beach Express and reentered the interstate westbound.
The deputy continued to try and stop the vehicle as it continued westbound. The suspect’s vehicle did a U-turn on the interstate and drove eastbound in the westbound lane at a high rate of speed. The deputy lost sight of the suspect’s vehicle as it continued to drive into oncoming traffic. The suspect impacted a vehicle head on that was traveling westbound. The impact killed a passenger and severely injured the driver of the westbound vehicle.
The suspect vehicle rolled over the guard rail and caught fire in the outside median of the interstate. Three subjects inside the fleeing vehicle were also killed.
The driver of the west bound vehicle was airlifted to University Hospital in Mobile. The driver’s condition is unknown.
The identities of all those involved are unknown at this time. Alabama State Troopers are working the case as a traffic homicide.
Comments
41 Responses to “Police Chase Ends With Four Fatalities”
One of the passengers in the fleeing vehicle was my Daughter Crystal .she wanted the driver to stop so she could get out of vehicle .the last thing her friend heard was her asking driver to let her out of vehicle and screaming when car flipped over.
It’s stupid to run! Risk your own life, not to mention someone else’s. Running didn’t get this guy anywhere except a last ride to a cemetery, if there was anything left. It’s sad for the innocent to die because of a stupid decision. I’d much rather pay for a ticket than to give up my life for a traffic violation! No matter how fast and how hard you run, you cant outrun that radio in those cop cars. Just my opinion.
Rest in peace to the victims and prayers to their families.
Also you know how many people stay in the left lane on the interstate highway. Even after passing someone on their right, they do not go back to the right late. I have read that a wrong-way driver, traveling in their right lane (for their direction) can hit someone staying in their left lane in the correct direction. I don’t know if that happened here, but it is possible, so I nearly always move back to the right lane after passing.
Thank you @Justice and @Lisa you both are absolutely correct. I wish Sheriff Morgan would have at least taken into consideration of the proposal of keeping the air unit and using it as a multi jurisdictional tool where all agencies that had access to use it would have shared the cost involved, his staff would not even listen or considerer it. Deputies will tell you they attempt to make stops all the time, the driver laughs and just drives off, due to the no chase policy that has been implemented.
From what I understood, the Sheriff of Baldwin County said, when the deputy who was chasing the suspect, and when the suspect decided to do a u-turn heading the wrong direction on I-10, the deputy stopped the pursuit.
This chase will br reviewed by the department to see what change or changes if any need to happen.
My heart goes out the innocent people in the other vehicle. Plus the families and friends of the ones who choose to run from the LEO.
LEOs go to work everyday, just like everyone else. They want to go home to their families at night.
I fly a LEO flag to honor those who serve and those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Please don’t slam our men and women in blue.
Bottom line, we as citizens are all victims out on the roads when lawbreakers decide to flee at high speeds, not caring about anyone as long as they can evade capture. Sworn LEO’s must make measured, responsible decisions based on what they are dealing with.
Their job is to protect and serve to the best of their ability. They will police themselves, with procedural review. Public scrutiny is human nature, and so many are quick to blame law enforcement. What is fact is that the fleeing individuals caused this tragedy – they fled with no regard for your or my safety on the road. If any of the critics want to step up and take on the responsibilities of a sworn peace officer lets see what you are made of.
If force of law is not projected, then there is no law!
So, I love the comments about air support to watch these vehicles, I guess all of you aren’t aware NONE of the local agencies have Helicopters.
TO: @Lisa
who and what agency has access to “air” monitoring now?? NOT Escambia County FLORIDA because Sheriff MORGAN gave the helicopter away right after he downed it & got rid of the unit as soon as he got in office.
Made all kinds of noise why it wasn’t feasible. However there have been multiple times over his administration that it would have more than justified itself.
plus you should never run from the cops – if you do you obliviously don’t care about anyone else around you. plus you probably deserve to be pulled over.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU GO TOO SLOW IN THE PASSING LANE (GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE PEOPLE!!!)
Why does a chase have to ensue at all? Can they not patrol these cars by air? Why can’t they be patrolled by air on a clear day? It’s crazy that someone was killed 20 or however many miles in the opposite direction. Does the adrenaline take over your brain? Surely you must have seen this was going to be bad but yet you continued the chase. Yes, someone best have their checkbooks ready because there is just no reason for this. I’m sorry but there just isn’t any reason for a ground chase with the population as it stands today.
@Esc co leo, How can you know those deaths would have been avoided? Who’s to say they would have slowed down or swapped directions…you put a lot of faith and trust in criminals. If you want to hypothesize, let’s guess how many lives were saved if the guys were drug dealers or murderers…
This is not the cops fault.
Good job on the part of Law Enforcement. This totally lies at the feet of the fleeing driver who chose to take his life, and the lives of his passengers, into his own hands. He made a poor decision. Unfortunately, the innocent driver in the other car was injured. That’s also totally on the fleeing driver.
@ k
“The driver who ran owns all of this. Entirely his fault. If you run like that, you deserve what you get. Zero sympathy for him, and zero reason to hear “But the cop shouldn’t have chased him. Disagree all you want, but this is still all caused by the driver who ran.”
This is true but the point is that the deaths could have been avoided if the pursuit was cancelled right off the bat since they only.had traffic infractions on the guy. It may have been the bad guys fault, but the death was preventable through hood police decision making.
Take a guess transporting drugs.
I’m betting drugs or warrant for at least driver of car is why they ran causing the death of 4 people and serious injury to the driver of car they hit. Was the traffic violation worth the high speed pursuit from which the accident occurred, quite simply no. The car could’ve been reported over the air and could’ve been stopped by another officer down the road. A lot of times police do stop the chase as they approach areas with heavy traffic to avoid outcomes like this.
Disagree with those blaming the police for the accident. Also can’t fathom how people misdirect responsibility to the police rather than the idiot criminal fleeing in the vehicle. There was obviously something in the vehicle, be it illegal items or a wanted person, to cause the high speed pursuit. It’s unfortunate and sad for the innocent family who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. As for the fleeing vehicle, I say good riddance; better them in the ground than a comfy prison cell for years at tax payers’ expense.
Chased into crash that kills innocent bystanders over a traffic violation. SMH. Baldwin County better have its checkbook ready for the victims in this unnecessary chase. As some have said earlier, there’s no true justification to kill over a traffic violation and law enforcement must know when to say uncle and get that driver on another day. With that said and on the other hand if there was information that the driver was armed and had committed a serious felony like murder, chase ‘em till the wheels come off.
Hi speed chase,probably over 35mph,going wrong way on the Interstate ???LEO probably had vehicle description & license number ??? How did LEO plan on stopping him / her or who ever was driving,snatch said vehicle up into the sky with a CH -54 Chopper ?
No chase is warranted over a minor violation,especially going the wrong way on Interstate.
It truly sounds like the 3 was literally on a suicide ride and unfortunately a innocent person is dead and one fighting to live. Yes the chase should have been called it wasn’t honestly it could have been worse
A lot of comments I see are pretty non sense. It’s clear there’s a reason you’re not in law enforcement. I hope those killed knew Jesus.
Now, regarding the comments, btw, see how stupid my previous statement sounds liberals ? Well, same thing.
I am definitely pro LEO. However, on driving infractions, misdemeanors, and minor non violent felonies, police should back off when pursuit reaches high speeds (if) innocent citizens are present. Everything else, hit it. However, I don’t care what comes out in the wash, cop didn’t know from the start. So they shouldn’t risk lives on a hunch. Idiots run all the time for dumb stuff just as much as for serious crimes.
This is unacceptable. So sad for all the families involved. Especially for the totally innocent ones. I’m actually going against the grain here with violating my own pet peeve of poor taste so you know there’s a “but….” coming. I usually hate when people politicize everything, but……. I’m just sick of these cars killing and maiming innocent people. Tens of thousands of innocent people die in a vehicle wreck every year and we can’t seem to stop it, although it has slowed. However, using liberal left gun control idiocy, we need to ban these cars. They just just seem to be getting into the wrong hands everywhere.
I’m just going to come straight down on the Police Officer’s side:
The driver who ran owns all of this. Entirely his fault. If you run like that, you deserve what you get. Zero sympathy for him, and zero reason to hear “But the cop shouldn’t have chased him.”
Disagree all you want, but this is still all caused by the driver who ran.
Come on people! If you’re going to break the law, don’t jeopardize our lives in the process. Innocent people have been affected because the suspects chose not to comply. If one would simply comply, we wouldn’t be condemning the officer or losing innocent people.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those that perished. The good Lord has a reason for all things. One day we may find out that reason and say ” Oh, well that make sense” but until then we can only keep the faith.
Of course we don’t know all of the details but how many times have we read severe criticism about Escambia Co. Sheriff’s Dept. not being about pursue due to the danger to innocent lives in traffic. I don’t know if there were better choices that Baldwin Co. could have made or not, but it seems each situation must be evaluated in an instant. So sorry for the injuries and death of innocent lives. The driver of the suspect vehicle made a choice and fled which resulted in the death of 2 passengers in that vehicle who may have been innocent victims also. Very sad outcome.
Chases happen for a reason. If someone did harm to one of your loved ones I can almost guarantee they are going to run. If the police don’t chase the criminal, the criminal gets to continue victimizing people. If you read, the driver was initially going the right direction and spun it around. The officer could not have predicted that. It doesn’t say the officer continued to pursue these people. Let’s not blame an officer for trying to keep eyes on these people while additional help was in route
You guys just want to judge. He wasn’t chasing him for a violation. He was chasing him because he fled. Law abiding folks don’t flee. We grumble and pay the ticket. It sounds to me that the pursuit backed off when the idiot started going the wrong way on I10. That’s why he lost sight. If they back off from everyone that fled we could close all of our jails and triple deadbolt our doors at home. Good cops chase bad guys.
Did you people not notice that it said the car was going the wrong way on the interstate? The policeman was trying to stop the car from continuing on and running into someone.
I have zero pity for the people killed in the chased vehicle. ZERO! If you run, obviously you have something to hide – or your high on something which half the world seems to be nowadays. I do feel sorry for the others who were involved through no fault of their own. At least the driver of the runaway vehicle won’t be getting probation or charges dropped. He/she already got the verdict they deserve!
Not ok to just let them go just bc they ran. But where to draw the line? I saw a video of a really cool tool for leo’s, a tracking device that can be shot from the patrol car and attaches to vehicle being chased. Should be on every patrol car in the country.
So I’m gonna venture to say he wasn’t running bc of a moving violation and NO I’m not saying this to make it ok that innocent people in the non-suspect car were killed. What I am saying is the suspect was going to run regardless and it says the deputy lost sight of the suspect vehicle. It will come out in the wash as to why he was running and let’s save judgement until those facts come out. And I don’t agree with chasing for a traffic violation bc the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.
Who knows what crime the fleeing driver had committed or had potential to commit?
It will be interesting to see what the facts are on the fleeing driver.
Let us not be so quick to condemn Law Enforcement.
I just hate it when someone is doing wrong but the POLICE get blame if something happens. If all people doing wrong think WELL IF I JUST GIVE THEM A chase they going to back off and I get away with it. Because I KNOW PEOPLE will get mad if the Police give chase. Not my idea of stopping crime.
This chase should have been called off. No traffic stop is worth the life of an innocent person no matter who the suspect is. Prayers for the innocent people effected from this. This could have been prevented Baldwin County PD.
Ok, I understand that LEOs have a job to do, but geez, 4 dead over a moving violation! Should have let him go, if for no other reason than to protect the innocent public from this fool.
Lord God have mercy! Father I pray for all involved.
How terrible…..sad….I am praying for the officer as he deals with this….also the innocent people involved by a careless selfish driver’s very bad choice….and yes,I mean the fleeing driver!!!!!
Should the police have backed off, put a chopper up to track him? As long as they were chasing him, he was going to speed to attempt to escape. I’m thinking it might have been better simply to back off.
I am a pro police guy first off. But why in the heck would you chase someone that is driving that fast in the wrong lane on the interstate where there is a lot of traffic, for only a moving violation!?? I can see a lawsuit coming. I wonder what their chase policy states?