Miami, Fla. – Hot Pursuit on I-95

Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore represents people accused of criminal traffic offenses, including fleeing and alluding police. Pursuing suspects in car chases is one of the more difficult aspects of law enforcement – and for good reason. While there are entire TV shows and numerous YouTube videos dedicated to exciting car chases, the reality is that they are extremely dangerous ventures. Often, law enforcement officers are forced to abandon the chase early. This is especially true if the suspect has been positively identified, because the police will likely be able to locate the suspect at a later date. They are also less likely to engage in a high speed pursuit if the suspect is not perceived to be exceptionally dangerous – pursuing a suspect who has stolen only a vehicle is much less important than chasing a suspected murderer or someone who has kidnapped a child. The threat to the community is an important consideration, both when evaluating the risk of allowing the suspect to escape and the dangers a high-speed chase poses to other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. After all, a suspect is likely to flee to a safe location rather than continue driving at very high rates of speed if law enforcement officers are no longer on his tail. Where it appears that the community would be less safe by having a suspect and police vehicles weaving in and out of traffic, and traveling much faster than other vehicles, officers may not pursue the vehicle. Broward DUI Lawyer William Moore believes police should always exercise their good judgment when evaluating the safety of the community.

In instances where the need to apprehend the suspect is compelling, police will give chase. Police officers are trained to handle these situations in ways that regular drivers or not. For example, law enforcement officers are trained in techniques to wreck their vehicles when necessary or to “butt” the other car with the front end of the police vehicle. Whenever possible, they also lay strips on the road which puncture and deflate a suspect’s tires – thus ending the chase more quickly. Sometimes, fleeing suspects attempt to escape on foot after the vehicle has been disabled, but these attempts are rarely successful.

South Florida police officers pursued a female driver for about 15 minutes on a northbound lane of I-95 this week. Officers have not released details surrounding the reason the chase took place, but the driver was pursued by police in Broward County. Local police attempted to puncture the vehicle’s tires, but the car was eventually involved in a disabling three-vehicle crash. The driver, who is 23, was taken to an area hospital for treatment, while her male passenger, who was 26, was killed in the accident after he was ejected from the vehicle. The driver of an unrelated vehicle who was involved in the accident, as well the police officer whose car was involved, were not seriously injured.

Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore provides outstanding DUI defense in Broward, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Lauderdale-Dade Counties. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore, P.A.

This article should be used for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice nor as implied representation of any person.