Police departments across the country, including Kentucky, do it regularly. They want to end a pursuit by striking the escaping vehicle’s rear quarter panel, a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver. This causes the target vehicle to spin out of control and possibly roll over before coming to a stop.
The degree of danger increases with speed and the type of vehicle involved. It’s estimated that 87 people have been killed due to this type of crash since 2017. Thirty-seven weren’t drivers in the chased vehicle.
What Cost Justifies Ending a Police Chase?
Most PIT maneuvers by police don’t result in fatalities, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and they sometimes enable the capture of dangerous suspects. But the Chronicle found that the 37 people were bystanders or passengers in the fleeing vehicle. They were people with no control over the situation.
The newspaper article contains videos of PIT use, subsequent crashes, and a graphic explaining how this tactic should work. It also recounts some of the incidents involving police PIT maneuvers:
- An SUV chased on a New York interstate flipped over the median, ejecting an 11-year-old passenger. She was crushed by the vehicle when it started rolling over
- A Tifton, Georgia, grandmother was killed when an out-of-control car chased by police went into her front yard
- A pickup was knocked off a roadway in northern Georgia, sending it into the path of an ATV ridden by Dustin Thomas. He was struck with so much force he was knocked out of one of his sneakers. His body was found 50 feet from the collision
- Tevin Blount, according to police, didn’t use his turn signal, so police started a pursuit. He refused to pull over, and a high-speed chase ended with vehicles going about 120 miles per hour. Blount and his passenger were killed
- In 2021, a Kansas state trooper tried to pull a driver over in North Topeka due to a cracked windshield. A chase with a PIT maneuver at about 55 mph sent the lead vehicle into a telephone pole, killing a passenger
- An Arkansas Dollar Store clerk reported she saw a customer leaving with products without paying. The woman, her daughter, her daughter’s boyfriend, and her stepson were in the car. Another 120-mile-per-hour chase ended with a PIT maneuver. The driver was killed, and all the passengers were injured
- Christopher Hall wasn’t speeding. He was driving too slowly when Georgia state police started chasing him. Hall pulled over and stopped, then sped off. The chase ended when the cruiser hit his pickup, sending it into a ditch, when it spun and flipped, ejecting Hall. He was found dead on the road
- Janice Harper was pregnant when police stated she was going 84 miles per hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone. Police pursued. She slowed down, turned on her hazard lights, and entered the right lane. Due to construction barriers on both sides of the highway, there was no safe place to pull over. Less than a mile later, an officer executed a PIT maneuver, injuring Harper. She later sued the police department and settled for $150,000
The charges against Harper were dropped, and as part of the settlement, the police department updated its pursuit policy, so a “reasonable” officer must agree the PIT is justified.
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Some Police Departments Don’t Take PIT Crashes Seriously
The Chronicle found that those studying law enforcement viewed a PIT maneuver as highly dangerous and capable of killing people. But many departments saw it as just another way to end a chase. They have no limits on the type of crime that could lead to a PIT collision or how fast the vehicles could travel at the time.
Other police departments strictly limit why such a tactic could be used and allow it only at lower speeds. Some police agencies prohibit intentionally hitting a vehicle trying to escape.
At least 25 people have been killed since 2018 in PIT-related accidents involving the Georgia State Patrol, while none have died in these crashes involving the California Highway Patrol. California’s population is almost four times that of Georgia, and the California Highway Patrol limits PIT maneuvers to no faster than 35 to 45 miles per hour. Georgia troopers can use it at any speed.
Training on how to perform a PIT also varies widely. While some departments see employing a PIT maneuver as a use of deadly force (requiring high standards for training, use, and follow-up investigations), others think there’s nothing special about it.
Legal Action After an Injury or Family Member’s Death Due to a PIT Maneuver
Every lawsuit starts with the facts of the situation. If you’re a driver fleeing police who ends up being injured, depending on the evidence, you may have a difficult time establishing the police are at fault. That becomes much easier if you are a passenger or bystander because you have no control over the driver.
Much of the liability depends on the police department’s practices and policies before the crash and the officers’ actions during the pursuit. PIT maneuvers’ dangers are well known. If a department sees them as standard operating procedure, and an officer acts like he’s involved in a video game while trying to arrest a suspect, you may have a winning case.
What’s the Next Step?
If you or a family member are injured or killed in an accident caused by a police pursuit and want help from an experienced Kentucky personal injury attorney, call The Fleck Firm at (270) 446-7000 for a free consultation. We are dedicated and compassionate when fighting for our clients. We can discuss the accident, your injuries, the law, and your best options. Insurance companies and police departments have lawyers. You should have one, too.
