Car driven by 15yr old boy slams into taxis, leaving one passenger dead + another.,,

[george benjamin]

This is happening to often to just ignore. Toronto police really are a$$holes in police chases. A couple have died in the past 2 years, including 2 teens yesterday.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/220954

Two teens killed in crash TheStar.com - News - Two teens killed in crash
Car driven by 15-year old boy slams into taxis, leaving one passenger dead and another injured
June 03, 2007
Tamara Cherry
Staff Reporter

As investigators combed through the twisted wreckage left from an accident that killed two teens and critically injured another yesterday, a city councillor called for a review of policies surrounding police chases.

A 15-year-old boy was driving a stolen blue Acura being pursued by police when he smashed into two taxis and wrapped the car around a light pole at Finch and Islington Aves. just after 2 a.m. He was pronounced dead in hospital.

Two teenaged girls were in one of the taxis. A 16-year-old died at the scene, while a 17-year-old remains in critical condition. The Royal and Beck taxi drivers weren't seriously injured when they were struck as they drove eastbound on Finch. All three cars ended up in the westbound lanes.

It's not yet known if the boy was involved in a gun call police were responding to near Islington and Albion Rd. when he sped past them and the two marked cruisers began following him north on Islington.

"It's far too early at this stage in our investigation to be able to conclusively say what role the police played," said Rose Bliss, spokesperson for the province's special investigations unit, which is probing the incident.

Bliss wouldn't comment on whether the police had their lights or sirens on as they pursued the vehicle.

Calling the incident a "terrible tragedy," Councillor Howard Moscoe said the issue of police chases needs to be addressed.

"I'm not sure of the extent to which ... whoever was doing the chasing was not following the policy (governing police chases) – that's the first question," Moscoe said.

"The second question is, if he was following policy was it appropriate, and maybe the policy needs to be further reviewed."

This isn't the first time a police pursuit has ended tragically.

Last year, the SIU probed a high-speed police chase that left a 39-year-old man dead and three others injured when the car being pursued smashed into a taxi at Lawrence Ave. E. and Warden Ave. Two officers in a marked cruiser were conducting radar in the area when a car sped by. After they began following it, the car crashed into a taxi before jumping the sidewalk and smashing into a bus shelter.

A 22-year-old driver died after a car being chased by police following a break-and-enter in April 2005 smashed into his car.

In October 2004, a driver was killed after being thrown from his demolished car following a brief police chase on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near the CNE grounds. The car was speeding west when it sideswiped a tractor-trailer and crashed.

"If the person in the car was known to be engaged in a major crime or to be dangerous, there might be some justification," Moscoe said of yesterday's incident. "But there's almost no other justification for chasing a car at high speeds through the streets of Toronto."

The names of the victims haven't been released. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the SIU at 416-622-1898 or 1-800-787-8529 ext. 1898.

[Stoe99]

I'm sorry, how is it the fault of the officers that these people commit crimes, refuse to pull over for officers when being instructed to, then proceed to drive at speeds well over the limit, crash and die?

You have no idea what you are talking about, or how police are trained, shut your mouth, and stop blaming the police.

How the **** can you even think that this is the fault of the police?

Tell me, how would you have pursued these cars differently, since you know so much about how the police did pursue these teens?

[KorruptioN]

It's the police's fault that these innocent bystanders died? Who decided to run in the first place, the police?

edit: Stoe99 = winner

[yao416]

Its so true that police SHOULD NEVER car chase driver
Cus when they get nervous they don't know what to do.

[Tijuana]

It's the police's fault that these innocent bystanders died? Who decided to run in the first place, the police?

edit: Stoe99 = winner

+1

[YnD]

This is happening to often to just ignore. Toronto police really are a$$holes in police chases. A couple have died in the past 2 years, including 2 teens yesterday.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/220954

Two teens killed in crash TheStar.com - News - Two teens killed in crash
Car driven by 15-year old boy slams into taxis, leaving one passenger dead and another injured
June 03, 2007
Tamara Cherry
Staff Reporter

From what it states, this BOY is the one who crashed into the taxis.
The Cops were chasing... so what? He decided to not stop...how is that the cop's fault?

Just let him get away with the stolen car...so he could steal more and more.

Yah right buddy... well at least now he won't be stealing cars.

[noxe2]

These kids are out of control, and Stoe99 is right, its not the Cops fault. Stupid 15 yr old kid shouldnt have stolen the car in the first place (who probably has no driving experience), let alone try to think he's playing some NFS or GTA videogame where he can outrun the police.

The real question is how long till the mother comes out and blames this on the Cops too? Should've kept your kid disciplined lady

[rdtx2002]

Its so true that police SHOULD NEVER car chase driver
Cus when they get nervous they don't know what to do.

so it's better to let them steal the car?

how about NOT STEAL the car in the first place.

and the OP just proved what a stupid guy he is.

[cwb27]

Yeah, you're absolutely right, let's not blame the criminals for their actions... It's obviously the fault of the police when something goes wrong.




Give me a freakin break.... The thread title alone is practically trolling.

[TapemanPL]

everyone above except for the op has it right...i think the op is just a bad reader and doesn't understand what the article was saying...after only reading the headline i was like wth...it wasn't the police it was the 15 year old teen

[chickenbones]

You can't just say they can't do car chaes w/o know all the fact. If they chased the guy for 1 hour, and he was really reckless and they do not know if he committed any other crimes than speeding then sure maybe they should have called off the chase.

But it sounds like they were responding to a gun call, saw a speeding acura, decided to follow it. A SHORT distance later the acura crashed into the taxi cabs. I think they should at least give chase initially rather than just say oh well who cares let the car go.

[CSAgent]

What the hell are 15 year olds doing stealing cars already? They're not even old enough to get their license! In my opinion, this kid probably deserved it for doing something this stupid. Break the law and put the risk of others in danger in a situation like this, you're better off dead.

[MS_Project]

Why do Police even need to chase cars?

They can use a Police Helicopter to follow them in the air without risking other ppls lives.

[TapemanPL]

Why do Police even need to chase cars?

They can use a Police Helicopter to follow them in the air without risking other ppls lives.

toronto police don't have a helicopter for chases...i think they only have a very few for other uses

[CSAgent]

Why do Police even need to chase cars?

They can use a Police Helicopter to follow them in the air without risking other ppls lives.

It takes time - and cost resources like fuel, time to lift off, and manpower. A simple grand-theft auto is sometimes not considered worth the effort.

Plus, they need to track the target and acquire it before a helicopter can come and join the pursuit. Toronto is a 3.5 million people populace, with thousands of kilometers of road. How do you track something in a city with more than a million vehicles of all sorts if no one is tracking it in the first place.

Who has to track it first? Why, the police on the ground in the cruisers of course.