Yahoo Autos Minnesota Trooper Charged For Fatal Crash
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High-speed pursuits by police can be risky, although there is a risk for letting certain suspects get away. But it’s always tough to see a cop crash into an innocent citizen, causing serious injury or worse. A state trooper in Minnesota who killed a young driver doesn’t just have that on his conscience, he’s been charged with manslaughter.
Valet accused of stealing a customer’s car and causing a fatal crash.
It was back in May in the city of Rochester when the trooper ran into a Ford Focus, killing an 18-year-old girl. According to Fox 9, the trooper has a pattern of inattentive and high-speed driving. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.
He reportedly has been in four crashes during his eight year tenure as a Minnesota State Trooper. That seems like a lot to us.
If you’ll notice in many of the police chase videos we feature, the cops are extra careful going through intersections, ensuring they don’t cause a crash with innocents. After all, they’re there to serve and protect, not to add more dangers to the road.
Even with taking those precautions, we see police often still catch fleeing suspects, so it’s possible to balance the two.
Reportedly, the trooper was going 83 in a 40 mph zone as he tried catching a suspect for a petty traffic violation. That’s at least how it’s being portrayed by Fox 9 and the criminal complaint against the trooper.
To be fair, we’ve seen plenty of petty traffic violations turn into a huge bust because there’s a good reason the suspect doesn’t just pull over and take a citation. But we know in the Twin Cities area a lot of people don’t like cops, something which has worked out stupendously for the crime rate in the metro.
On the flip side, the trooper allegedly didn’t have his lights or sirens going when he entered the intersection and hit the Ford Focus. If true, that’s not a good practice.
Image via Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul/YouTube
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