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1 dead, 3 injured in car accident during high-speed pursuit

On Behalf of | Jul 27, 2012 | Car Accidents |

A section of Oregon’s Highway 101 was closed on July 17 as police worked to clean up a fatal crash that involved multiple cars. Traffic was snarled for hours as people waited for the cleanup of the mess left behind by the torn and mangled cars. The injury car accident happened near Spinreel Road in Lakeside at just about 5 p.m.

Police say that the incident began when they attempted to make a traffic stop for speeding. The Chevy Cavalier that was speeding took off from officers. They pursued the vehicle, which at times exceeded 100 mph as it fled from the officers.

When the police vehicle caught up to the Cavalier, the driver veered into the oncoming lanes of the highway. At the time he was said to be travelling 110 mph. As he drove, he crashed into several cars, including a minivan and cargo truck that were struck head-on. Before coming to a rest near the center of the Oregon highway, the car struck the guardrail and a PT Cruiser.

The injured included the driver and passenger of the minivan struck in the car accident. Both were listed in fair condition at a local Oregon hospital. The driver of the Cavalier died at the scene of the collision, while the PT Cruiser driver was taken to Lower Umpqua Hospital.

A high-speed police chase always has the potential to be dangerous to anyone on the road. Unfortunately, other vehicles in the vicinity, as in this accident in Oregon, are often just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When a car accident injures innocent drivers not involved in the chase, the investigation will likely address whether the police chase was reasonable in putting other drivers at risk under the circumstances.

Source: theworldlink.com, “High-speed crash kills one,” Tyler Richardson, July 18, 2012

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