Names of the innocent & officers killed in police vehicular pursuit crashes
are in date order:
More than 100 officers killed since 1982. Figures are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and do not include the estimated additional 25 percent that are undocumented because reporting is not mandatory.
Throughout the United States, and especially in California, the number of children, spouses, parents, siblings and family members killed and injured in police chases continues to climb with no promise of action.
January 22, 2002—One minute, Kristie Priano was a 15-year-old honor student laughing with her brother in the back of the family minivan on the way to her high school basketball game. The next, she was one of hundreds who die each year across the nation in police pursuits. More than a third are innocent victims—just like Kristie.
The following events changed the Priano family forever: The Priano family was driving down a residential street at 6 o’clock in the evening going to Kristie’s basketball game. She was dressed in her uniform; ready to play. At the same time, the police were chasing a young teenage girl. Prior to the chase, the police knew her name, where she lived and that she had taken and was driving her mom's car without permission.
The Chico police press release states the chase was prompted for a stolen car. A review of the police report indicates the teen was not speeding and was not running stop signs until the police were pursuing her. (Yet, she should have pulled over.) The police chased her through five stop signs (a violation of their pursuit policy). At the intersection of the fifth stop sign, the teen T-boned the Prianos' van as they drove on a street with the right of way. Kristie was killed as a result of it.
Kristie's brain stem was crushed and swelling caused her brain to rupture, leading to her death. The Prianos soon learned the teen was not arrested on the night of the chase. She went home with her mother.
Some of this copy was taken from an AP Wire Service news story.
