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Driver fleeing Ferguson officers crashes into car and kills another driver, police say

S.Chen3 months ago

DELLWOOD — A driver was killed here early Wednesday when another car fleeing a traffic stop crashed into the driver, police said.

Officers at 4:22 a.m. tried to pull over a car that was speeding northbound on West Florissant Avenue, Ferguson police said. The vehicle did not stop, and two minutes later the car was seen in the QuikTrip parking lot at 10768 W. Florissant Ave.

The driver “exhibited erratic behavior” before driving off south on West Florissant, Ferguson police said. The officer turned on the patrol car’s lights and sirens and tried to stop the car once again.

The car did not stop and eventually struck another car around 4:35 a.m. at West Florissant Avenue and Champlin Drive, Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Dallas Thompson said. That intersection is on the border of Dellwood and Ferguson.

The driver fleeing police ran from the crash site but was later arrested and remained in custody Wednesday morning, Thompson said.

Ferguson police said the officer involved in the chase did not run after the suspect. Instead, they provided medical aid to the driver who was struck, but that person was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not identified that driver.

State police are investigating and could apply for charges against the fleeing driver as soon as Wednesday, Thompson said.

While state police handle the investigation into the accident, Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle said his department will review dash and body camera footage to determine if the officer violated any policies.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the individual who tragically lost their life,” Doyle said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our community are paramount, and we are dedicated to comprehensive investigations and maintaining the highest standards of law enforcement professionalism.”

The deadly crash is one of many caused by drivers fleeing police, an issue that has long been at the center of heated debates about police pursuits. At least 13 people have been killed during police chases in the last year and a half, including several who were not involved in the pursuits.

Following several deadly chases last year, the local NAACP chapter called in a federal mediator to facilitate discussions between the organization and both city and county police departments, hoping to set parameters for when police chases are warranted. Police spokespeople and St. Louis NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt told the Post-Dispatch in April they are close to reaching an agreement.

This year, several people have been killed in the region after police pursuits ended in crashes. In April, a Bellefontaine Neighbors man was charged with murder after investigators said he led police on a chase and crashed into another car, killing the driver.

A few months later, in September, three 15-year-old boys died Sept. 6 in University when they failed to make a curve in the road and crashed into a vacant home following a brief police pursuit.

Police chases by St. Louis County police officers were up 300% through the end of March, compared with the same period last year, according to department data. Since then, the increase has declined to 75% through October.

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