D.C. Area Crash Kills 2, Injures 15
Police Pursuit Leads To Chain Reaction; Two Officers Injured, Motorcyclist Escapes
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The scene of a fatal seven-car accident in Forestville, Md., May 30, 2007. A chain-reaction on the Capital Beltway killed at least two people and injured 15, including two police officers, authorities said. (AP /T. Sandys, Washington Post)
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A police car was chasing a speeding motorcycle when he struck a pick-up truck, beginning a chain reaction. (WUSA)
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Helicopters were used to airlift accident victims. (WUSA)
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At least two people were killed and 15 injured — including two Prince George's County police officers — in the crash near Ritchie Marlboro Road. The highway was closed in both directions for hours during the rescue, cleanup and investigation.
CBS affiliate WUSA correspondent Doug Buchanan reports that it began with a police chase, in which an officer was trying to stop a speeding motorcycle on the Inner Loop.
At about 7 p.m. the police cruiser was heading fast along the shoulder as the motorcycle was moving fast on the opposite shoulder. The police officer appeared to lose control of his vehicle and rear-ended a pickup truck. That vehicle flipped over the guardrail and rolled down an embankment onto the Outer Loop, where five other cars were hit.
An off-duty officer driving on the Outer Loop was flown to a trauma center. The officer who tried to stop the biker is also hospitalized, but his injuries aren't considered life-threatening.
"I've been on law enforcement a long time, and I've been on a number of tough scenes, and this is a tough scene," said Chief Melvin High of the Prince George's County Police Department.
The biker sped away. Police say they are looking for a black motorcycle. In addition to eyewitness accounts, the police cruiser's in-car camera is also being checked.
Although the Beltway was later reopened to traffic, state highway officials will start rolling two-lane closures across the Beltway starting at 10 a.m. Thursday as part of the accident reconstruction.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



I have no idea what I am talking about but for the heck of it, ill make a guess and blame the police.
In today's world no one really gets away. If the cops had the riders tag #, his picture on video cam, they can pick them up in the future. We've had a lot of similar accidents here in the Denver area and most of the time the cops could have delayed till later and innocent people were killed. I'm for banning chases except in extreme cases!
Seems much safer for all involved!
For the record the operator who lost control of their own vehicle is respoinsible. That is the police officer who caused the wreck.
For the law enforcement apologists you are a joke... If you had any intellignece you would learn to take accountability for your own stupid actions including this train wreck by having dumb priorities and over aggressive enforcement on petty victimless crimes like speeding.
Of course intelligence and law enforcement do not go well together:)
It happens all the time, and many police forces have policies to avoid such things; aerial tracking, for one.
Shame on you, shame on you all. The accident is hours old and you blame the police.
You make me SICK.
But, don't worry, our administration is hard at work to chop away at the democratic process, wherever it raises it's scrawny little neck.
"To protect and to serve."
their corporate masters.
The cop does not know why the hell the person is running !!!
They deserve the benefit of the doubt. But I guess that would be too easy in this case.
And as for the idiot on the political rant. Who knows what your agenda is.
What you all fail to realize is that it's easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback when things like this happen. The problem in this society today is that people just don't have any respect for authority or for others. We are living in an "It's all about me society."
Some of you seem to think that police officers should not persue drivers who are speeding and then refuse to pull over because in your opinion "it's not that big of a deal." Well when does breaking the law, any law, become a big deal in this society?
You want to cops to go hard after the murderer's and rapist and child molesters but then you say don't worry about the speeders and red light runners. But guess what ya'll that speeder or the red light runner might very well be the murderer, the rapist, the child molester.
Instead of putting the blame on the cops lets hold the law breakers responsible for their actions.
God bless you all and I wish you nothing but safety and freedom from the actions of law breakers.
2. Innocent civilion's don't run from the police. Criminal's run from the police.
3. Aerial support is not necessarily on scene waiting for a chase. If they were, people would complain that they are wasting fuel flying around.
4. Hindsight is always 20/20.
(3) Exceed any maximum speed limit, but only so long as the driver does not endanger life or property; and
This law enforcement officer broke the law by endangering life and property.
He is a criminal. That is a fact. No matter what excuses his superior's come up with he is the individual who misjudged his abilities, lost control of the vehicle he was driving, rammed another vehicle, and killed innocents. Hopefully he will be charged with vehiclular manslaughter which is waht he deserves but since the MD law enforcement officer's police themselves this will propably not happen and they can continue to be criminals and kill innocent civilians.
As a resident I have NEVER EVER seen a MD law enforcement officer obeying this law, normally they are going between 85-90 MPH and tailgating during commutes. So apparently they themselves do not take that law too seriously.:)
If a speeder hits me and causes injury/damamges that is a different crime entirely Reckless/negligence etc. - one with a victim...
Throw the book at the cops. They had the opportunity to prevent this.
Once again the innocent pay with their lives, the guilty get away, or get away with murder.
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by bostonblakie-2009
May 31, 2007 4:51 PM PDT
- Vehicular pursuits at high speeds by the police are almost NEVER worth the risk that they pose to public safety. Law enforcement officials must review the usefulness of this tactic and consider alternatives before more innocent lives are needlessly lost or shattered.
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