Posted on 05/14/2010 2:35:28 PM PDT by Touch Not the Cat
New evidence filed in a lawsuit today say that in the crash of an LAPD squad car that killed a young Southland woman shows that the squad car was speeding.
Seven months ago Devin Petelski, 25, tried to make a right turn from Glyndon Avenue onto Venice Boulevard, but she was broadsided by an LAPD squad car.
The officers reported traveling about 40-45 MPH, but we have found convincing evidence that they were actually traveling closer to 80 MPH -- with no lights or siren.
The truth according to hand-written accounts by the two officers in the police car that night.
It was just before midnight when they responded to a call of a possible prowler with their emergency lights and siren turned off, traveling eastbound of Venice Boulevard when Officer James Eldridge writes, "I observed the vehicle come flying northbound from Glyndon Avenue and we hit her on her driver's side.
"Approximate speed was 40-45MPH."
But there was another observer inside the police car that night, watching every move that Officer Eldridge made behind the wheel. This observer suggests that it was Officer Eldridge, who was flying down the street, not Devin Petelski.
The observer is a black box that keeps track of accelerations, speed and braking. According to the download of this on-board computer, obtained by Petelski-family attorneys, Officer Eldridge jammed the accelerator to the floor just 18 seconds before impact.
The black box shows explosive acceleration with the police car rocketing down Venice Boulevard at nearly 80 MPH. At 78 MPH, Officer Eldridge slams on the brakes and just four seconds later -- impact.
"I was shattered, devastated, just devastated, Devin didn't have a chance," Shaunnah Godfrey said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbs2.com ...
Wow, cops lie. Who knew?
While I'm generally opposed to the notion of a surveillance state, I'm all for watching the watchers.
We’ve had a rash of officers driving recklessly here in Vegas for the past couple of years resulting in fatalities of both officers and civilians.
It is definitely a black mark on the police force that some of them take driving a squad car as complete license to drive as fast as they want whenever they want.
My heart goes out to the victims of these accidents.
The cop even tried to claim the victim was DUI. Classy.
But LAPD don’t drive Lexus.
I hope their cops boycott the rest of America. I am boycotting L.A. now.
That’s hard for me - I live here.
He could have just been a poor judge of speed. /s
The awkward wording of the title and first few lines of the article makes it sound like the squad car was acting alone.
I drive a truck locally, and several years ago I was passed in a school zone by a Transport Police vehicle traveling at a speed quite a bit above the limit with no blue lights or siren. Knowing that the Transport cops have C.B. radios in their cars, I keyed up my mike and said "I guess speed limits do not apply to cops around here. It must be nice". Through his rear window I saw what appeared to be him talking into a microphone... and I was told: "It sure is nice, and it's nice for my wife, and my Dad, and my brother and sister. It's one of the perks of the job. Eat your heart out".
That dose of reality is still with me today.
Four seconds of braking would hopefully reduce the collision speed significantly.
“It sure is nice, and it’s nice for my wife, and my Dad, and my brother and sister. It’s one of the perks of the job. Eat your heart out”.
Get ‘em out of their “jurisdiction” and they’re fair game.
How do you spell, Donut run, in your accident report
“Get ‘em out of their “jurisdiction” and they’re fair game.”
Not likely, they stick together for the most part, at least here is CA if you flash your badge it’s a free pass. The only exception is the CHP (California Highway Patrol) they ticket everybody (except their own) and are generally despised by the other LOEs for that breach.
Here the Fuzz have little black-blue-black stickers on their cars as a recognition symbol. A little less blatant than the FOP license plates.
Didn't mean you personally
F-ing liars.
Illinois State Trooper…texting and using his laptop while going 120mph to a non-emergency. He tried to pin the accident on the two girls he killed, until the evidence caught up with him.
He resigned and got 30 months probation…not a day in jail.
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