Cmon Really

So I guess last march a UHP trooper hit two elderly women while he was responding to a fatal crash on I-15. So now this family is suing the state, because the trooper was going to fast. I think this is ridculous. From what I understand the trooper was responding with his lights and sirens and these women pulled in front of him and he had no time to react and hit them. Now I know when a police officer has his/her lights and siren going it doesn't give them carte blanche to speed, but when your responding to a fatal accident its probably best to get there as fast and safely as possible. The trooper wasn't going through a intersection where they tend to slow down to make sure they don't hit anyone, it was on a straight stretch of road that had light traffic. From the video the women are clearly at fault for this accident and the family fail's to see that.

The state will probably end up settling around 35,000 about the yearly salary of a starting trooper, money that could have been used to hire another trooper to help keep the roads safe. This really disgusts me. Here is the link to the article. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50621097-76/family-lawsuit-uhp-hyer.html.csp#disqus_thread

In the video you can clearly see the trooper slow down at intersections and everywhere he is suppose to. If litigation keeps happening like this pretty soon, police officers are just going to go with the flow of traffic to get to a call, because they are too afraid of litigation if they go fast.

Incidents like this have really restricted the use of lights and sirens or running 'code' over the years. Most people don't realize how seldom an officer is allowed to go code. Basically if it is an in-progress crime against a person, robbery in progress, accident with injuries, or to conduct a traffic stop are the only reasons an officer can activate their lights and siren and be exempt from traffic laws. Most local agencies have very restricted pursuit policies as well. With civil suits like this, they will calculate how much it would cost to fight it and offer a lower number to settle it, just the way things work. Most in law enforcement understand that is the way it works and don't take it personally. It doesn't mean they were in the wrong if the risk management for the state pays out money to make a civil suit go away. It is what it is.

I have been involved with in-custody deaths a number of times and luckily we were so air-tight in our documentation that a suit was never brought in any case I have been involved in. The day I am ever named in a civil suit (and it is a very common thing in law enforcement) I wouldn't feel betrayed by risk management if they payed out as long as I am not being personally held liable for damages. It is all calculated in the budget, so the likelyhood that UHP settling this case would hinder their hiring oif new troopers is slim to none.

I disagree with you huntingbuddy, there is enough evidence that this officer was going way too fast. Now I will say those old ladies weren't paying attention also. I think both parties are at fault.

I think the deal was that there were already emergency personel on scene at the fatal accident and it was several miles away, so that will all figure into the suit and whether or not it was appropriate for him to go code at a high rate of speed through town. The public relies on the press for info, and trust me, the press gets things wrong all the time. More power to the family if they have a case, that is where the details will come out and the real fact finding will happen.

I know this trooper well, he had numerous accidents envolving is patrol car. Not saying it was entirely his fault , but from what I have heard he was going to fast to a call that other troopers and medical was already on scene at.