Posted on 10/16/2004 7:21:03 PM PDT by nuconvert
Fleeing SUV Suspected of Carrying Illegal Immigrants Causes 11-Car Crash, Killing Six in Ariz.
The Associated Press
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (AP) - A stolen sport utility vehicle that had been chased by deputies rolled over at a busy intersection near a Army post Saturday, causing an 11-car crash that killed six people and injured 15, sheriff's officials said. Deputies believed the SUV was carrying illegal immigrants in Cochise County, in southeastern Arizona. They first saw the vehicle driving out of a brushy area along a highway and trailed it for a short time, sheriff's spokeswoman Carol Capas said.
Deputies called for backup and stopped chasing the vehicle after the suspect sped and drove away recklessly, Capas said.
Authorities then spotted the SUV heading north on State Route 90. Sierra Vista police officers used tire deflation devices to slow the vehicle, said Frank Valenzuela, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
At a busy intersection near the east entrance to Fort Huachuca, the driver lost control and the SUV rolled several times, causing a wreck that involved 11 cars, Valenzuela said.
The crash occurred shortly before noon. Traffic in the area was diverted to Tombstone while authorities investigated.
The vehicle had been reported stolen in Phoenix, Capas said.
I believe your right.
Looks like it was not a good idea to place the spike strip near a major intersection. In another article posted here the police were trying to claim that the spike strip was removed before the accident. Perhaps that is attempted CYA.
Looks like the future is here.
Welcome to FR, Jose!! We're glad you're here.
Ahh, the old bait-n-crash!! Man, those SUV's! Cunning buggers.
What isn't a good idea is to have zero control over who and what is coming over the borders. This was likely deliberate --- these people intended to get in no matter what it took --- and it looks like they succeeded --- by crashing into the cars at 100mph plus many were able to run off into the desert and will not be punished in any way.
Naturally I am not in favor of illegal immigration. But there are usually multiple causes to any big disaster and the placing of the spike strip appears to be one of them. I am betting that the families of innocent Americans killed in this accident are wondering if the police could have handled this in another way. I expect the officer who placed the spikes is asking himself the same question. I've had a close relative killed in a car accident and I certainly wanted to know all the reasons why it occurred. The police would not have changed their story if they were sure that their actions were 100% OK. Hopefully some lessons are learned.
It's easy to second guess after the event --- but when someone illegal comes over the border and seems hell-bent on reaching the nearest military base while the jihad is declared on us, I think the spikes were probably the right thing. What if this was Al Queda types instead of the typical drug smugglers? What if they were rushing over with some kind of bomb to destroy the military base instead of cocaine?
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