No tolerance for bad driving

[Gob]

A driver involved in a high-speed chase in California was struck by gunfire from a police helicopter, officials have confirmed.



The driver had refused to pull over, police said, and had sped past stop signs and red lights.

Police opened fire when the car began heading the wrong way on a motorway. The driver was later confirmed dead.

A sheriff's spokeswoman said shootings from helicopters were rare but deputies did train for such eventualities.

The incident began on Friday in Devore, east of Los Angeles, when police tried to pull over a man believed to have committed a burglary.

The Chevrolet Tahoe SUV drove through residential districts at high speed, narrowly missing pedestrians, before getting on to Interstate 215 the wrong way, a statement from the San Bernardino County sheriff's department said.

A deputy in a helicopter giving chase opened fire, hitting the SUV several times.

The wounded driver jumped from the moving car and ran a short distance before collapsing and dying by the side of the road, the statement said.

Police say they are awaiting autopsy results to reveal whether the man died from gunshot wounds or from leaping from the vehicle.

Police spokeswoman Jodi Miller said officers decided to open fire because the driver was threatening public safety.

The driverless SUV crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango injuring three people, one of whom remains in hospital, police added.

[Crackpot]

Personally I believe once you start driving the wrong way on the interstate (or any hight traffic high speed road ) all bets are off and any means necessary to stop the vehicle and protect the public are justified.

But this:

The driverless SUV crashed head-on into a Dodge Durango injuring three people, one of whom remains in hospital, police added.

Makes me think this particular method hasn't been well thought out. (that is if the driver was the target and not engineblock/tires)

[Lord Jim]

I agree with pretty much everything you said there, CP...

A car going the wrong way on an interstate with a dead guy at the wheel is an even greater threat to public safety than one with a live driver, (assuming that the driver isn't suicidal)

The pubic safety imperative in this situation is to bring the car to a stop as rapidly as possible, so it becomes a stationary obstruction on the roadway, rather than a moving threat. You don't accomplish this by shooting the driver.

[dales]

[oldr_n_wsr]

A driverless car will come to a stop eventually unless the driver wedged the gas pedal with something to keep the car going. I doubt that was done so the car was slowing down. How soon after the guy jumped did it hit the other car?

You don't accomplish this by shooting the driver.

I think a driver purposely speeding in the wrong direction is worse than a "dead stick" at the wheel. I would imagine that the car would drift to the point of running off the road and/or hitting guardrails.

[Crackpot]

Impossible to say what a dead man at the wheel will do. One thing is for certain he will no longer have a self preservation instinct to mitigate the possibility or severity of a crash. As I said I don't have much of a problem doing whatever necessary to stop the vehicle but shooting the driver isn't a good idea. If the driver gets hit going for the tires or engine block I don't really care but done as a primary method is just stupid especially when you consider that any crash over 50 mph is likly to cause serious injuries add to that since this is head on the speeds are added together. Too much chance for an out of control speeding vehicle.

[rubato]

They're strict down there.




yrs,
rubato

[Joe Guy]

Here is an exclusive video of the event.....

[Lord Jim]

I think that's a dramatic re-creation....

[MajGenl.Meade]

You're pulling my leggo

[No Greater Fool]

Did you mean Lego or were you pulling your leg with a waffle?

[MajGenl.Meade]

I always waffle (and stutttter)