[QT3.14]

...the cops didn’t need to start a high speed chase...

You're mixed up. The driver started a chase by running.

[Rusty0604]

chase noun \ˈchās\ Definition of CHASE 1 a : the hunting of wild animals —used with the b : the act of chasing : pursuit c : an earnest or frenzied seeking after something desired : something pursued : quarry : a tract of unenclosed land used as a game preserve : steeplechase 1 : a sequence (as in a movie) in which the characters pursue one another The chase starts when with the chaser, the pursuer. Otherwise, you just have someone running off.