2-year-old killed by car in Calif. police pursuit

Police at the scene of an accident in Lancaster, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, after a black Toyota evading police ran a red light and smashed into a blue Lexus. A 2-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured. The driver of the Toyota was arrested. / KCBS

LANCASTER, Calif. A 2-year-old girl was killed and her mother badly hurt after their vehicle was hit by a suspect in a police chase Thursday.

The pursuit began when deputies spotted the 45-year-old suspect running a red light at Sierra Highway and Avenue J, Sgt. Paul Pfrehm of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told CBS Station KCBS.

The suspect, driving a black Toyota, allegedly refused to make a traffic stop and sped off.

Authorities followed the suspect north on Sierra Highway as he reportedly continued to run through red lights. He then continued west on Avenue I.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the Toyota's driver drove through a red light at the intersection of Avenue I and 10th Street West, striking a blue Lexus.

The woman driving the Lexus and her young daughter were transported to a hospital in critical condition, Pfrehm reported.

He said the 2-year-old girl later died from her injuries.

The suspect, only identified as a Palmdale resident, was listed in serious condition. He was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter.

[jaybee4747]

The guy ran a red light, and the police tried to pull him over. Then "he reportedly continued to run red lights." How many red lights does a jerk have to run before the police realize that he is not going to stop? The fault belongs to the jerk for running in the first place. However, our police are professionals and I expect them to do what the jerk did not - use their brain cells. What are the odds that if the jerk continues to run red lights because he is being chased, sooner or later, he is going to hit a car driven by an innocent bystander? So now here we have a family who will be burying a baby, while the jerk will probably get a slap on the wrist from a California judge. For all of you who think that the police should continue these chases, you let me know if you would want to have your family be in line to be the next rolling roadblock. Oh, I know, you think it won't happen to you. My family used to think that, too.

[nohater]

the driver who tried to escape a traffic stop should have been shot dead immediately. if it were my call, the suspect would be executed by eoy. fortunately for the suspect, it's not my call.

[Mr-Drivel]

Why didn't the people of California help this little girl? The person in the helicopter who took the images should have dropped their camera and helped. How sad that nobody in California cares anymore.

[augustus66]

First of all most of you that are blaming the police or seeking lawsuits form the city are complete idiots and are what is wrong with this country. Our countries sense of responsibility is now totally skewed and we seem incapable of placing proper blame. LA120365 is TOTALLY right.

#1 This guy already ran a red light, which puts all of us in danger. He needed to be stopped
#2 It is the police's responsibility to keep us all safe by apprehending/removing dangerous people out of (contact with) the general population. (especially before the do more harm); not just for the sake of incarceration (punishment/retribution for the infraction),..as that is a Judges job.
#3 You (we) are required to stop, heed, listen, abide, obey, orders from the Police, Sheriffs, FBI, etc. Not doing so is totally an offenders responsibility and ANY resulting ramifications are ABSOLUTELY the responsibility of the offender, for not listening to the commands of the Law officer. Regardless of who has the deeper pockets.

While every situation is not 100% kosher, 99.7% usually are. And police don't put the public in grave danger for someone who steals a pack of gum. Most every single issue, in these situations, are the fault of the "runner".. Because if you logically look at the situation, if the "runner" would have stopped and not fled, the subsequent/resulting calamity (as a result of the flight) would not have happened. Citizen cop doing their job, Citizen person not doing theirs. Let's start putting the blame where it belongs people....

[tomanyt]

"#1 This guy already ran a red light, which puts all of us in danger. He needed to be stopped" -- The cops didn't stop him, the blue Lexus did.
"#2 It is the police's responsibility to keep us all safe by apprehending/removing dangerous people out of (contact with) the general population. " They didn't do that did they? A child died and the mother is seriously injured.
"#3 You (we) are required to stop, heed, listen, abide, obey, orders from the Police, Sheriffs, FBI, etc." Criminals ALWAYS follow the rules.

[augustus66]

Exactly Tomanyt,.. Your're making my point, thank you.

#1 - If he WOULD have stopped, the blue Lexus wouldn't have had to. --Perps fault
#2 - because he didn't stop, & ran,....Killed one & injured one,.... Again Perps fault.
#3 - Perp did not follow society's rules,... Once again Perps fault.

Your schmarmyness is childish. But then so is your reasoning, especially on #3. I guess by your reasoning, since criminals (or potential criminals) don't obey societal rules, Police should then just ignore criminals & let them go, since a potentially dangerous chase might ensue.... Really?!!! great logic. Get real. Try that in your own little fantasy city & see how that goes..

[djseavy]

It's easy to second-guess the police. Did they try to have another squad intervene? Was the chase necessary? We don't know. No matter what they do though, they can't win. If they had not pursued the driver, and he had killed someone else, people would be screaming for their heads on a stick. Maybe it would have been better to radio in his plate and have another squad pick him up down the line - but again, we don't know. I wouldn't be a cop for all the money in the world. Dealing with law breakers all the time is bad enough, but the way some of the public reacts no matter what the cop does, would be getting slapped in the face on a regular basis.

[Colt4542]

Excellent comment, right on the button. I have a LEO in my family so know first hand it's a no-win situation. But without LEO's the world would be a difficult place to live. PS - I'm very proud of my LEO.

[magnumdr]

If running a red light is worth all of this then I wonder what a robery will create. The cops could have just gotten the liscence plates and sent the owners a ticket via mail?.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

The cops did not make him speed thru the red light and kill the kid; he did that all on his own. What's to say he would have run the light even if the police were not following him?

[la120365]

Except that this citizen was obviously not your normal person who just made an honest mistake, they obviously had more major issues with law enforcement and did not want to get caught so that will not work.

[omnibus66]

If I were the mother, I would sue the police for at least ten million. There are a large number of jurisdictions in this country where this type of thing would not have happened, because the cops are restricted in who they can have hot pursuit with, and traffic violations do not qualify. This was a testosterone created incident.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

The cops did not make him speed thru the red light and kill the kid; he did that all on his own.

[la120365]

AND if the police did not pursue him but had the chance to, then he killed someone like he could anyway, you would say to SUE the police for not saving a life by catching him when they had the chance.......right?

[bigmanfrommaine]

The police should not be engaging in high speed chases through town when the infraction is minor. This does not excuse the person that ran from the cops and killed someone. It is just not responsible policing to put the public at risk in a situation like this.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

The cops did not make him speed thru the red light and kill the kid; he did that all on his own.

[SallyLu27]

The driver who ran is responsible for putting the public at risk.

[rnrstar]

Why is this only manslaughter and not at least murder 2?

[touria55]

excellent question...he ran through several lights putting many lives in danger and obviously did not care.

[workerdroid]

How about a couple of feel good stories, like, evading suspect shot and killed while trying to escape.