Police chase, family dead

[Xr8-290]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

"Police don't start pursuits, other vehicles choose to engage in pursuits," he said.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

[ebxr8240]

I just heard the grandmother talk on the radio...
Sheesh !!!
They told her he was doing close to 200 kph...

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

Where does it say that the deaths were caused by the police chase? I guess the guy in the stolen car trying to evade capture by those who are there to uphold the law had nothing to do with it...

I feel so sorry for the police... they are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

I also feel soooo sorry for the family that had to lose their lives in such a tragic way.. but I don't agree with your 'anti police' comments Xr8-290 in the least.

[eMpTy]

Full sympathy to the family, heartbreaking thing to happen.

Quite a believable speed for where it happened, fairly long, downhill straight leading up to that intersection (used to live in the caravan on the corner of where it happened).

It's no consolation to the family but at least the **************** killed himself in the process and they won't be subject to the heartbreak of a lenient sentence aswell.

[futura97]

Condolonces to the family. Truley horrible act committed against them.

However, blaming the police is ridicuolous. If the police did nothing that would just send a clear message to wanna be theives. Speed and get away with it. Like yellow festiva mentioned, police are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

[Kamshaaft]

That's a tough call envi. That is though, a real misery.

[bangm001]

I also feel for the innocent family. May they rest in peace.

Unfortunately with harsher penalties and hooning laws taking peoples cars anyway, this is now becomming all too common and the last few deaths in the last two weeks are examples of this stupid behaviour happening.

I do not know the circumstances leading up to the intersection in regards to the police car trailing them, however, what I do know is that with harsher penalities, and police that will not give the chase up (not saying that they did or didnt in this circumstance), its a very deadly cocktail, one that closely resembles what happens in the USA and somethign id rather not see happening on our roads.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

How can you say that? The police had called off the chase when it got dangerous, it was the moron behind the wheel of the speeding car that kept going and had no regard for his safety or the safety of others.

What are the cops supposed to do, just let everyone do what the hell they want. If they did these morons would still do 200 and kill people and then the cops would again be responsible because they did nothing.

Put the blame where it belongs, on the shoulders of the morons doing 200 in a suburban area through red lights.

[auMatt]

Im with you gecjoGT

[Redrum]

Having been involved in at least 20 pursuits thus far I must say in Victoria we have very strict policies and procedures and even though under rule 305 of the Road Safety Act in the course of our duties we are exempt from some traffic laws we are not exempt from all. We can still be charged with offences on duty if proven such as culpible driving.

When police are involved in a pursuit there are many things one must weigh up. First of all whether the pursuit is elective or imperative. This would depend on many factors including the offence/s that have been committed and or the manner of the driving. Also when weighing up the risks a pursuit causes one must also weigh up whether the risk is any where near worth it.

The last two pursuits I was involved in I terminated them both personally due to the risk far outweighing any other factors. Both offenders were caught after the fact.

A common problem I see in many reported pursuits is the fact that after the pursuit has been terminated the offender keeps driving like a maniac and then causes a death.

One person has stated earlier in this thread, damned if they do, damned if they don't. That comment is very applicable to almost everything police do these days.

[Bucknaked]

Are you serious blaming the police. They did not steal the car. They did not go through that red light. This retard driving the car did this before. 10 months ago, he crashed a stolen car and ended up in a coma. And now you have an innocent family killed, because of this person. Shame he's dead, would have been nice to see him get put away for this. RIP to the family who lost their lives.

[chrisfpv]

I saw this on the news last night, horrible tragedy for the innocent people who were killed but blaming the police force isn't warranted imo.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

I bet your the sort that would start a thread complaining about the Police doing nothing if they hadn't pursued the vehicle & it cleaned up someone
:

[deesun]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

BALLDERDASH. :

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force.

Is this a windup? Seriously? Wow.

What do you propose police do from now on? If a suspect is fleeing in a vehicle and their speed exceeds the speed limit, they should break off the chase? Talk about the mayhem that would insue if you took away the Police's ability to pursue offenders.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Looks like this guy has got no respect what so ever

Fatal collision driver 'crashed car last year'

The unlicensed driver who killed a family of three in Canberra at the weekend had been in a coma only 10 months ago after crashing another stolen car.

Justin Williams was killed on Saturday night when the speeding car he was driving slammed into the vehicle containing Scott Oppelaar, 33, his partner Samantha Ford, 33 and their three-month-old son Brody.

Williams, 23, smashed into the car with such force that it slammed into a tree and split in two.

His passenger and girlfriend of two months, 18-year-old Skye Webbe, was airlifted to hospital and placed in an induced coma.

Now it has emerged Williams was already facing charges over another crash on May 14 last year where he wound up in a coma, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Ms Webbe’s mother Debbie yesterday said she was angry at authorities.

"I'm devastated — I want the police to pay for what has happened," she was quoted as saying.

Mr Oppelaar’s three other children — Tamika, 16, Blake, 14, and Tori, 12 — wept as they laid flowers at the scene of the crash on the Monaro Highway in the ACT yesterday.

"There are no words that could say how I feel ... I loved him so much," Tamika said.

"The police should have stopped it — my father wasn't doing anything wrong."

NSW police stopped chasing the stolen car moments before the horror collision happened.

The pursuit began in Queanbeyan shortly after 10pm (AEDT) after the stolen car sped past police conducting a traffic stop.

The chase continued across the border into Canberra but was called off when the stolen car ran a red light.

A short time later it ran another red light and struck the other car at the intersection of Canberra Avenue and the Monaro Highway exit ramp at Narrabundah.

Police will not say if the chase stopped at a set of lights just 50m from the crash scene, or a set of lights further up the road.

My heart goes out to the family may the victims rest in peace

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

I bet your the sort that would start a thread complaining about the Police doing nothing if they hadn't pursued the vehicle & it cleaned up someone
:

Absolutely, I am sure he would have some colourful language at the police if he reported his car stolen and the police informed him that they will not do anything as it might induce a chase and the offender to drive dangerously, instead they will just wait and see if it turns up.

How about we take away their right to chase someone that is driving dangerously and refusing to stop. Then all the idiots will start taking whatever car they like, drive as dangerously as they like, because they know the police will have to just let them go. What a great world that would be.

I think it is time to remember that the protocols and conditions for a police chase are tremendous, many are called off when the chase becomes too dangerous. Unfortunately it seems that in this case the chase may have escalated to that point only moments before that crash. This is not the cops fault, it is the fault of the maniac behind the wheel of the stolen car, the maniac with a history of this exact behaviour. These cops are doing an important job, sometimes in the conduct of that job it goes wrong and something like this happens, what do you expect when they are trying to prevent someone like this moron from behaving dangerously.

What is not widely publicised is how many chases end up with the offender apprehended and a potential incident such as this is prevented. I would suggest this happens more often.

Living in an Australia where cops are trying to do their jobs and enforce the law that keeps us safe makes them the bad guy, whilst the criminal is never held to blame, makes me ashamed to be Australian and makes me sick.

[steve.zissou]

they should put a 15 year minimum sentence if you run from the cops - that way its better to take the punishment for what every they are pulling you over for than run.
and if your to much of an idiot and you do run - well its best that your off the streets for 15 years.

This is totally not the cops fault.

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Are you serious blaming the police. They did not steal the car. They did not go through that red light. This retard driving the car did this before. 10 months ago, he crashed a stolen car and ended up in a coma. And now you have an innocent family killed, because of this person. Shame he's dead, would have been nice to see him get put away for this. RIP to the family who lost their lives.

And now you can find someone to really blame.

The Police work in the field catching these scum only for some numbskull Judge to give them back.

Here is a bloke who was blatantly guilty of stealing a car, driving recklessly,causing an accident, evading Police, yet 10 months later he is free to do it all again. Seems whatever happened to him in the last 10 months hasn't worked out to be a successful deterrent!

Thieves, cut their hands off!

And perhaps dumb keyboard warriors, one finger at a time for each dumb post!

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

: You can't be serious , surely ?

[Deaks]

Damned if they do, damned if they don't. Where to for society if we take away the Polices right to stop someone stealing a car? Shall we just police things ourselves? XR8-290, im not sure what your solutions to these problems are, but if its taking away the Polices right to chase, then god help us.

My condolences to the family.

[LTDHO]

Sad to hear about the loss of lives.

[gcg2503]

Three innocent lives lost. A terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the family

I truly feel for the police. Everyone is so quick to jump all over them and apportion blame.

Can you imagine what a difficult job that must be. Especially when they do all the right policing, get a conviction, a trial...only to end up with some leniant sentence due to the offender not being hugged as a baby etc

As said above, damnded if they do, damned if they dont

Hats off to you Redrum.

[LTDterri]

Condolences to the family of this young family that was wiped out, as has been mentioned the only good out of this was the scum bag paying with his life. Police have a job to do. You cannot allow these scumbags to do as they please, the police officers called off the pursuit then had to watch the idiot wipe out an innocent family. So why does the media then have to beat up time and time again about Police pursuits, focus on the real issue and thats the idiot who wiped out this poor young family.

[GTJOHN]

Is a real tradgedy...but for F*&* sake, lets not blame the coppers everytime
things go wrong..this guy had a history of this behaviour and may well have still had a crash being pursued or not...lets concentrate on eradicating these idiots instead of persecuting the police everytime things go wrong

[FPV+fteT3]

Condolences to the innocent family the police were doing their job the tool driving the stolen car was 100% to blame he has done a similar stunt last may that ended in a smash obviously he has not learned anything and is or was just stupid.
The police start to chase you and their lights are on most people with half a brain stop you cannot put more restrictions on the police they are pretty well tied up thanks to the do gooders now, people like XR8-290 would have them chase the crims at 60k's the only person responsible for the tragedy is the nut behind the wheel.
Some people need to grow some ......and take responsibility for what they do not look to shift the blame to someone else this is becoming a national pastime in this country now.

[RG]

Originally Posted by Xr8-290

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...ends-in-crash/

More deaths from police chase, this one includes a 4 month old baby. IMO, the police ( :togo: ) chasing this thief should be charged or at least sacked from the force. When the chase became a threat to the public it should have been called off way before he ran a red light. Excessive speeds should have been enough to take other actions to stop this guy and the chase given up. But as with most police, catching a crim is far more important than the safety of the public. Persoanlly, I do NOT think the chase was stopped moments before the impact, that's a cover up, but police have laws which protect them and not the public.

- It takes two cars to have a pursuit, these police chose to engage in the pursuit as the guy was already speeding.

I'm so sad to hear this and my heart goes to the family. I only hope this incident shows exactly what can happen when you speed and when police chase cars at high speeds. The family should take legal action on the police force, and I hope they do, they are at fault IMO.

You sir are a fool and really shouldn't comment on issues such as this at times like this when it is painfully obvious that you have no clue as to what you are on about. That may sound harsh but when you present your opinions as fact then this is what you open yourself up to.

This is a terrible tragedy that shouldn't have happened, why this little brat wasn't already in prison for his previous is beyond me but nothing now can change what has happened.

My heartfelt condolences to the families of those involved and to the emergency services who had to attend, there would be nothing worse than attending a fatal where a child is involved.

[ZA-289]

I dont blame the cops for the deaths but how come every time theres a crash during a chase they ALWAYS say "the chase was called off moments before the crash" Thats a Lie.

There should be a massive jail term for evading police because how the laws are now, its WORTH trying to run! and idiots will continue to do so.

This idiot did the same thing 10 months ago, was on Tax payer funded life support for how long? just so he could do it again and kill 3 people????

[merlin]

Someone else got it right - the courts should be holding a lot of the blame (well besides the moron) - he did this only 10 months ago so why was he free to do it again?

Apart from that at least the idiot killed himself (though his female passenger survived). What makes it REALLY sad is the fact that a 4 month old baby had to lose his life in all this - you can't blame the police for doing a very difficult job under strict policies and procedures.

There was a family friend on tv this morning and all he was spouting off was how it was all the cops fault (didn't even mention the offender). Saying they should be sacked ect ect.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by jrckelley

they should put a 15 year minimum sentence if you run from the cops - that way its better to take the punishment for what every they are pulling you over for than run.
and if your to much of an idiot and you do run - well its best that your off the streets for 15 years.

This is totally not the cops fault.

The problem with that is that when does a chase become a chase?

You are doing 130 on a motorcycle and a copper picks you up in an unmarked car going the other way.
By the time he turns around you are gone but he decides to chase you. Due to favourable traffic you don't even see him he is so far behind but he radios ahead and 20km up the road a road block pulls you up. You stop and wonder why they are all pointing guns at you and 3 minutes later a very angry little man arrives.
You get 2 years license loss and $1800 fine.

Should you have got 15 years? (by the way this actually happened to a friend of mine in Guyra).

What is the penalty for murder? If you are already going to get 15 years because you panicked and sped off there really is no reason to not kill a few people including police.
If you know you are going to jail for a long time why stop? The only thing you can lose is your life and if you are an average person then 15 years jail is the end of your life.

Desperate people make desperate decisions.

Under no circumstances should the magistrates be restricted by law from assessing a case and assigning the appropriate punishment.