A car involved in a police chase in Irving, Texas, plunged from an overpass, resulting in a fatal fireball that claimed the lives of all four occupants. Dashcam footage from the leading police car in the pursuit captures the precise moment when the fleeing driver lost control. This incident has ignited a debate surrounding pursuit tactics.
The Irving Police Department says that the chase began around 2 am on Thursday morning when an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle in question was reported stolen and when the driver didn’t pull over, officers followed. That same driver lost control near IH35 and the Woodall Rogers exit, hit a wall on an overpass, and ultimately went over that barrier.
The car fell dozens of feet to the ground below where it burst into flames immediately. Dashcam footage from the police cruiser shows the moment of the crash and that pursuing officers immediately called for emergency services. Despite the efforts of fire and rescue, all four occupants were tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
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The department released footage showing the accident and it’s clear that officers aren’t as close to the fleeing vehicle as we’ve seen other departments get. Nevertheless, the result of the chase has sparked an investigation.
Officer Anthony Alexander, a public information officer for the department told CBS News that, “Officers are required to constantly monitor the situation as they’re in pursuit of a vehicle… I will say that time goes fast, or it seems like it goes fast when you’re in a pursuit. But it’s their job to make sure that they’re being safe at all times.”
Notably, this was the second time in less than a week that a North Texas Police Department was involved in a high-profile chase and subsequent crash. Records show that since 2018, Irving police have been involved in 515 chases or more than two every week. Of those, over a quarter saw speeds exceed 100 mph and 76 of those chases ended in a crash.
The Department of Justice released a report last year indicating that chases aren’t as effective as one might believe. “Research suggests that if the police did not chase offenders, there would be no significant increase in the number of suspects who flee. Additional research suggests that agencies with more restrictive pursuit policies do not have higher crime rates.” For now, the investigation into this crash remains ongoing.