The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that a high-speed chase that began in Chesapeake and roared through Norfolk just before midnight Tuesday ended after the driver being pursued for suspicion of drunk driving and kidnapping hit state police cruisers.
Only the driver, whom police have not publicly identified, was injured, and only the police vehicles suffered damage. The reported kidnapping victim was not in the car when it crashed near the Jefferson Avenue exit on I-64.
High-speed chases put everyone on the road at great risk. Having a drunk driver involved increases those risks to police officers and others drivers. If anyone beside the driver had been hurt here, the driver who had run in a futile attempt to escape criminal charges would definitely be liable for those injuries.
Also, if the officers involved in the chase had failed to follow proper procedures and caused injuries to anyone but the suspected criminal, they could be held liable.
During my nearly three decades practicing personal injury law, I have too often seen the tragic outcomes of reckless driving. I am pleased no one but the person most at fault was hurt in this latest high-speed chase.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers. Lawyers with Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton are licensed in VA, NC, SC, WV, DC and KY. They handle car, truck, railroad, medical negligence cases and more.
EJL
