Posted on 12/31/2003 6:01:09 AM PST by CanisRex
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Troutman police officer appears to have behaved properly during a pursuit that ended in a crash that killed seven North Carolina teenagers, authorities said Tuesday.
The chase was captured on a video camera installed in the pursuing officer's cruiser. Investigators from the N.C. Highway Patrol made an initial analysis of the tape on Tuesday.
"Our finding so far is no wrongdoing from a criminal standpoint," said Sgt. Everett Clendenin, a spokesman for the agency.
The crash occurred early Monday on U.S. Highway 21 near Troutman, about 35 miles north of Charlotte.
The victims have been identified as driver John Lindsey Myers, 15, and passengers David Wayne Summers, 14, Quentin Maurice Reed, 18, Antonio Miller, 13, Domnick Hurtt, 17, Erica Stevenson, 15, and Antoinette Griffin, 13, all from Statesville.
None of the victims had drivers' licenses and none was wearing a seat belt as they rode in a 2001 Dodge Intrepid that was reported Monday as stolen, investigators said.
Troutman police officer Keith Bills began chasing the car after he saw it weaving in its lane as it headed north on U.S. 21 into Statesville. The chase ended just after midnight when the car careened into an embankment, flipped and landed in a creek.
Questions have been raised about how closely Bills pursued the teenagers. He initially told a local newspaper that he was not close enough to witness the accident.
Later Monday, Police Chief Eric Henderson said Bills at first pursued the Intrepid at high speed, then backed off while continuing to follow. Henderson said Bills was about a quarter-mile behind the teenagers when they crashed, but was able to see the accident.
The Highway Patrol's Clendenin said Tuesday that investigators who viewed the tape say it does not show Bills in hot pursuit.
"You could just see the beginning of the crash," Clendenin said, quoting an investigator. "He was not on their bumper."
Clendenin said the pursuit does not appear to have caused the wreck.
"Everything seems to be pointing in the same direction," he said. "... There's nothing we've seen that would rise to the level of being neglect on the part of the officer."
Henderson has said that Bills followed proper policy during the short chase and will take off a couple of days before returning to duty.
The Intrepid had a temporary "doughnut" spare tire on the right rear and was traveling at between 80 and 100 mph at the time of the accident, investigators said.
"Right now we are focusing on speed, whether alcohol may have been involved, and whether the spare tire played some part in the wreck," Clendenin said.
District Attorney Garry Frank has asked the highway patrol not to release the videotape to the public at this time because it was evidence in the crash investigation, Clendenin said.
"He wants to review the videotape," he said. "At the appropriate time, he will render a decision."
Meanwhile, more details emerged Tuesday about events preceded the tragedy. Statesville police confirmed that a city resident reported the Intrepid stolen on Sunday night.
In addition, Reed was being investigated as a possible participant in a home-invasion robbery in nearby Mooresville.
Mooresville police chief John Crone said four of the six robbery victims identified Reed as an assailant in the robbery, which took place about two hours before the fatal crash.
"He (Reed) was wearing the same kind of clothing as one of the suspects," Crone said Tuesday. "Four of the victims picked him out of a (photo) lineup."
Crone said two men broke into an apartment at the Piedmont Point Apartments and forced the occupants at gunpoint to lay down on the floor.
"They took $270 from three of the victims and took a cell phone from another," he said.
Three of the crash victims were Statesville High School students, two attended Statesville Middle and one attended South Iredell High. The seventh was formerly a student at Statesville High.
Iredell-Statesville school superintendent Terry Holliday said principals were meeting Tuesday with response teams to prepare to address the deaths when students return to class Jan. 5.
"We have special counselors, who are certified to deal with these types of issues, ready to be at each of the schools affected by this," he said. "We also will have volunteer counselors from our faith community.
"Any child who feels the need to talk will have a free pass to leave class to talk to someone," Holliday said
Not to mention that all the deceased were black.
I can't help but wonder whether or not whatever settlement amount might be arrived at will be more or less than the government would have expended on them during the course of their lives had they lived.
Is this the PC way of saying "DROPOUT"?
The Rev. Al has stolen his thunder on the front pages and JJ really needs to do something about it soon.
Leni
Don't forget the owner of the car. Plus the deep pockets of Chrysler. They'll all get sued.
They certainly were enjoying the spoils of these miscreants crime spree.
Good riddance to the lot of 'em.
Just think how much the good people of N.C. just saved on housing these animals in prison.
Uh oh. indeed!
"Three of the crash victims were Statesville High School students, two attended Statesville Middle and one attended South Iredell High. The seventh was formerly a student at Statesville High."
The same parents people who let their middle-school children hang out with deliquents.
Probably the kind of parent who only shows up when the welfare checks come out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.