If you’re driving and see the flashing lights of a law enforcement vehicle in your rearview mirror, it’s always a good idea to pull over. In a matter of fact, several states have specific laws dictating the proper road actions drivers must take when a police officer or emergency vehicle approaches. While fight or flight instincts may seem overwhelming, attempting to outrun police or state troopers seldom ever bodes any driver’s favor, and a high-speed chase can end in an accident that causes severe injuries or worse.
AZ Central reported on its website that a high-speed pursuit of a driver by Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers ended in a fatal crash earlier this month. On Friday, April 11th, at approximately 7:15 a.m. DPS troopers attempted to pull over a driver for a moving violation in the area near Interstate 17 and Seventh Avenue in Phoenix.
DPS officials said in an emailed statement that the driver failed to yield to the trooper’s emergency lights and instead took off at a high rate of speed heading southbound on Seventh Avenue.
The driver of the vehicle lost control of his vehicle, veering off the road near Rio Salado Park near the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Elmwood Street. The vehicle then collided with a maintenance structure and caught fire. Authorities report that the driver did not survive the crash.
Officials have not released the identity of the driver, pending further investigation by the medical examiner’s office.
