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Turning car hits troopers in pursuit
Cruiser flipped onto side, Cops slightly hurt. Motorist hospitalized.
Lancaster New Era
May 18, 2009 11:20 EST
Christiana
By CINDY STAUFFER, Staff Writer

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QUOTE (mstro20 @ May 19 2009, 01:01 PM)
Wow, I can't believe we actually have a diagram now...haha

The cop should have slowed down to determine what the other driver was going to do....if he didnt pull off to the side the cop needs to assume that the driver does not see him....and proceed with caution....this is just common sense.

They are both at fault.


no the driver of the vehicle should have pulled to the side of the road and not turned left in front of a police cruiser with lights and sirens activated...this is just common sense.
oif2vet
QUOTE (Bigmaclender2 @ May 18 2009, 12:00 PM)
It doesn't matter about any of these possible scenarios. The bottom line is that when a police car has his sirens and lights on you are to IMMEDIATELY pull off to the side of the road and let them pass-NO EXCEPTIONS!!!


However, they do not have ultimate right of way, they too must use caution. If a vehicle goes through a green light for example and T-bones a police car, the police car will usually be found at fault. This is why they slow down before blowing through lights and stop signs.

If it was NOT a passing area and that individual had their turn signal on and the officer continued to pass, there are unanswered questions here.
grieker
QUOTE (annonymous1234 @ May 18 2009, 02:08 PM)
I live in the area and know the road very well. Why was the police trying to pass the vehicle on the left when there is plenty of room on the right side shoulder for them to pass on. Also I heard that the police were going way over the speed limit while coming from the Cochranville area. There is no need for anyone to be going that fast to go after an alleged drunk driver. This incident is exactly how accidents happen and how others get hurt! As far as moving over for emergency vehicles, I agree that you should move over to the side of the road for them but what I do have a problem with is the police who come up behind you, hit the sirens just to go through a red light and as soon as they are through the light they turn them off. This has happened to me quite often!!!


Well I too live right down the road from that intersection. First the reason the police were passing on the left is because PA driving laws state you must move to the "RIGHT" side of the road when being approached by an emergency vehicle. Who cares that they were going over the speed limit, I am sure you can't say that you have never gone over the speed limit. I too have been in a similar situation where the person in front of me whom I followed for 5 miles was never stopped. Which the whole way that person bounced the car off the embankment, crossed into oncoming traffic many times narrowly missing oncoming cars. I have traveled Rt 41 for over 20 years 5 days a week 30 miles in the morning 30 miles in the evening. Every time I have seen an accident I can say 90% is the fault of the passenger car or truck. Mostly due to people being impatient, or maybe impaired that I can't say. All I know is what I have seen, it's not the road, it's not the amount of traffic it all boils down to inattentive drivers. Pulling out in front of a semi-truck traveling at 45-55 mph and they pull out in front of them like they are on the road by themselves. Even just today I had someone pass 6 cars and a semi in the center lane through the red light just to get ahead.
For your last comment, "How do you know that officer did not get a silent call and trying to reach the destination with out being noticed?" they do that to get through the intersection safely".

At least I was told that by a judge.
govmentmule
This topic should be titled "Troopers in Pursuit Hit Turning Car". From what I have read and heard about this story so far is, It would be kind of hard to get out of the way or get in the right lane when a car is running a 110 to 120mph. Im sure if the driver was signaling his left turn and was in the process of turning, It would be kinda hard to make a quick right turn. I have to take the civilian drivers side in this. I had a friend that was in an accident like this one several years ago, and was severly injured due to a police car driving at a high rate of speed, over a hilltop and ran into the "passenger" side of my friends car. The driver (my friend who I will keep their name private) was unabled to see the patrol car over the hilltop, is now disabled for the rest of his life for something that could have been avoided. High-Speed pursuits are Very Dangerous especially in "Low Visible" driving areas or "Public Roadways".
ShannonRex
Do we know for sure the trooper had his siren on? Where there any witnesses?
SWWeiss
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