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sarahjustme t1_jaq3t2w wrote

A pretty steep conjecture, that the wrong way driver wouldn't have been even more dangerous if he was fleeing a pursuit. Though it's very weird that there wouldn't be communication between WSP officers in Ellensburg and Yakima and Sunnyside (as well as sheriffs). WSP is pretty tight lipped though- we may never know what happened. I've already seen more than one version of this story, in different local media (I live nearby in Tri Cities)

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RPCs-FGTRTD t1_jaq5yj3 wrote

How much more dangerous could he have been then speeding wrong way on an interstate and killing two kids??

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Area29 t1_jaqb3vw wrote

“Lets add armed individuals also driving at high speeds going the opposite direction of traffic!!” Is the dumbest response ever. Any chase will make the driving more extreme. They can’t outrun a radio.

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RPCs-FGTRTD t1_jaqe1ww wrote

They could always radio ahead with these situations and they do. But what’s the point of advising other cops if they can’t chase them either?

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r428713 t1_jasle9l wrote

The police ahead could shutdown the road and warn people to so they don't get killed.

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sirguynate t1_jasdd3n wrote

Spokane finally put a chopper up in the air to follow when they called off ground pursuit, its actually helped capture these Fs after the chase ends. So now, the judges who let them out on their own recognizance same day takes the blame when they go out and wreak havoc the next day.

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[deleted] t1_jaqz8pv wrote

[deleted]

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NoMoOmentumMan t1_jarj83h wrote

>20 over the speed limit needs to be a felony traffic violation, on any road, period. It is in most states...

20 over is not a felony in most states, in fact, I don't think it's a felony in a single state. Also, advocating for creating more felons, by way of traffic infractions, is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

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hyrailer t1_jarm2ee wrote

At 20 over, the violator knows what he or she is doing, and that's why it is, in fact, a criminal traffic offense (yes, a felony) in many states, requiring a mandatory appearance before a magistrate. It's way above a simple "sorry officer, but I didn't know I was speeding".

So 90 in a 70 is acceptable to you; what's the acceptable punishment for you when you are doing 111 in a 70? I'm curious to know where you feel you should be held accountable.

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timesinksdotnet t1_jarxl94 wrote

DUI is only a misdemeanor in most situations. Speeding is usually just a traffic infraction, even at 20 over, unless they can also prove reckless driving (which is criminal, but also generally only misdemeanor criminal).

In CA, the fines double at 15mph. Anecdotes suggest they rarely even bother people going less than 15 over and often write tickets for more than 15 at the lower level anyways. They actually have a law that makes exceeding 100mph considered reckless driving.

Then we get further away into NV, UT, ID, MT, they have higher speed limits (75 and 80) to begin with. NV, speeding is a misdemeanor (fine no more than $20 per mph over the limit capped at $1000 which implies misdemeanor charges for going 50 over!). UT's reckless driving law kicks in at 105mph. ID doesn't have anything super clear on the subject, but there doesn't appear to be any explicit excessive speeding statute. Similar in MT, though school and work zones can upgrade the infraction to a misdemeanor. No mention of felonies in any of those states...

I think you have some incorrect perceptions on how things work in other states.

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NoMoOmentumMan t1_jarq9hb wrote

>that's why it is, in fact, a criminal traffic offense (yes, a felony)

Citation needed.

20mph over the posted limit isn't a felony ANYWHERE in the US.

I'm not arguing for or against speeding, I'm merely pointing out you are saying and repeating a falsehood.

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SheMovesLikeThis t1_jas9mdo wrote

Most traffic offenses that require court appearances, including speeding, are misdemeanors, not felonies.

In some states, including WA, speeding while evading police is a felony and there are a few other specific conditions where driving at high speeds can turn into a felony (e.g. speeding resulting in manslaughter). But the act of speeding alone is not a felony, i.e., if you’re tagged for doing 25 over at a speed trap but you pull over when directed, you’re getting a citation and court appearance but not a felony charge.

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sarahjustme t1_jas2w2k wrote

I live in the mid columbia valley , where this happened. If 20 over was a felony, half the population would be in jail or have a family member in jail, and the ag sector would be destroyed. Not saying it's good, but the rules of the road out here are pretty different.

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sirguynate t1_jaseabq wrote

Go drive in Tennessee. The commercial truckers go 15 over and ride the ass of people who only go 10 over. 20 over is common. You thought we had bad drivers here - WA is nothing. Going to the east coast really opened my eyes to southern hospitality - they are nice because they are taking out their aggression on the road.

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KittenKoder t1_jascput wrote

High speed chases need to be outlawed at this point. There are more deaths from people fleeing the cops than there are from actual criminal activity now.

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Lanky_Examination_43 t1_jass4ah wrote

If the driver was going the wrong way on the freeway AN HOUR after the persuit ended, the crash had nothing to do with being pursued by WSP. Also, the driver was going 111 mph before the pursuit started. WSP is just a footnote here. The real story is a possible drunk/drugged driver was going 111 mph and then was going the wrong way on the freeway and caused a fatal accident.

It is also *highly unlikely* (actually complete nonsense) that police chases cause more deaths than criminal activity.

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KittenKoder t1_jastnna wrote

According to whom?

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Lanky_Examination_43 t1_jasuto4 wrote

Do you really think police chases cause more deaths than criminal activity? No. How many people die everyday from police chases?

According to this study it's less than 1 per day. If less than 1 person per day is dying due to criminal activity then your claim is correct. I'm sure illegal drugs alone kill more than that.

https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/10/2/93 (old article but I'm not spending a bunch of time on this)

​

And you didn't refute my first comment about the article either.

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cpatanisha t1_jaxesca wrote

Exactly. Plus the thugs in blue be being using them to steal our cars and put all of us in jail so hard. Jail so hard. Plus, towing companies make more than social workers when they impound your car and crush it into garbage if you don't empty your bank accounts and give them all of your money. All of your money. The Seattle subreddit has a good post yesterday about how they be. Lincoln Towing is the CONservative devil.

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bdorr360 t1_jaq059n wrote

Gotta love these new laws that let all the bad guys get away to wreck more lives. Sad.

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Area29 t1_jaqaz8a wrote

If someone wants to kill themselves going the wrong way, you want cops driving the wrong way on the interstate to stop them? Are you that dumb???

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RPCs-FGTRTD t1_jaqe4t4 wrote

But they didn’t kill themselves. They killed two kids.

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unfiltered6111 t1_jaqeq7b wrote

I think the point is that they "could have" and should have died, doing that. It's a wonder that they didn't.

I hope that guy never sees daylight again.

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bdorr360 t1_jbdbzgy wrote

Yeah, good call. Just let them hit & kill someone else. That’s brilliant! I mean, sure, they’ve been trained to stop fleeing cars but why bother?!? Just turn off the twirlers & wait to clean up the wreckage. Totally successful no-stop there. Thanks for the enlightenment.

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tetranordeh t1_jarodii wrote

Wrong-way drivers and police pursuits caused bystander deaths before this law went into effect.

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RPCs-FGTRTD t1_jartx4b wrote

Bystanders are still dying.

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tetranordeh t1_jas17ex wrote

And? Is there evidence showing that this law has increased bystander deaths? Honestly seems way too early to make any statistically significant claims one way or the other.

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