7 dead, 58 hurt: Do Louisville police need to slam the brakes on high-speed pursuits?
Deaths and injuries from Louisville police pursuits are climbing as the city has quietly rolled back one of the strictest pursuit policies in the nation, a Courier Journal investigation has found.
An analysis of police crashes dating to 2012, when Louisville Metro Police clamped down on chases following a string of crash-related deaths, shows pursuits have risen dramatically.
The consequences have been striking:
- Police chases rose from 67 in the three years following the pursuit crackdown in 2012 to more than 102 as restrictions loosened the last three years — a 52% increase.
- During the last three years, seven people have been killed in police pursuits. There were no deaths in 2013-15, when tougher restrictions were in place.
- During those same periods, injuries suffered by officers, citizens and fleeing suspects during police chases more than doubled — from 25 to 58.