Driver missing: After 85mph car scalps house
The City put up a new traffic pole the day after the August 7 accident. [More photos]PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
A stolen car speeding down Rugby Road Friday morning went airborne and plunged through a garage and then a house before shearing off tree limbs and coming to rest crumpled and upside-down in a suburban back yard–- sans driver.
The August 7 wreck has perplexed bystanders. But neighbor Lucky Stone, who was awakened by what he first thought was 2:30am thunder, thinks he figured out what happened after the car took out a utility pole and pulverized a concrete curb.
"He smashed into the roof of the garage, and I guess that gave him some lift," says Stone, who says an investigator estimated the vehicle's speed at 85 miles per hour.
"And then he smashed into the roof of the house, which I guess gave him a little more lift. He wound up upside down with the air-bag deployed."
Pointing to a black stripe spanning the breadth of the intersection where Preston Avenue and Barracks Road meet Rugby Road, Stone says it doesn't appear that brakes were ever applied.
"That's a yaw mark," explains Stone, suggesting that the driver futilely attempted to negotiate the T-intersection.
"I thought a plane had crashed into my house," says the owner, Russell Skinner. "There was debris everywhere, and I could look up and see the moon, so I thought it was either a plane– or a meteor."
Skinner says he and his wife, Nura Yingling, were sleeping only ten feet from the impact zone but that neither was injured. He's not sure he can say the same of the driver, who may have landed about 100 yards from the road and about 50 feet lower in elevation on the steeply sloped property.
Skinner, now ensconced downtown at the Omni hotel by his insurance company and contemplating at least five months before the house–- declared unfit by the City–- can be reoccupied, notes that another car plunged through his yard two months ago before winding up next door in Stone's yard.
Stone says police found that fleeing driver but have yet to locate this one. Given the severity of the wreck and the scope of the flight, he says police were particularly surprised not to find this perpetrator, who allegedly stole a silver Ford Five Hundred sedan from a residence in the Johnson Village neighborhood.
Although tree limbs 15 to 20 feet above ground were broken, there was no body dangling from any tree. Infrared devices and dogs failed to locate anyone, dead or alive.
"I've seen people walk from horrendous wrecks," says Stone, "but I was half expecting when they flipped the car over that they'd find his body in there."
Not only that, but Stone says there was no blood. Still, police are on the lookout for someone badly bruised, or worse.
Other media accounts indicate that a police chase, allegedly called off in the interest of safety, had preceded the crash. Charlottesville Police Department spokesperson Ric Barrick says that although no suspects have been identified by investigators, some evidence was recovered from the scene that "might give them more direction."
–last updated at 12:56pm, August 11
55 comments
Really?, I will tell you another well kept secret Since I have Armchair and SOS on a roll now. When you read about a pursuit where 2 or 3 police cars were damaged, it's usually the result of the cop cars running into each other. Most press releases are worded in such a way that the average reader assumes the bad guy was ramming the police cars.
I will never forget a call I was on one night. We had 3 cars responding to a large party where a disorder had erupted and somebody was waving a gun. I was the 3rd car, and being older and more experienced, I kept my distance from the two ahead of me. Approaching a red light on Route 29 northbound, both troll cars in front of me went through a ~~ red light ~~ at about 85 mph. They never even touched their brakes or slowed one bit. I slowed down and crossed my fingers on both hands hoping they would make it through the interesection without killing somebody. Young kids wearing badges, a free ticket to drive like crazy, the the "it won't happen to me" attitudes, all a recipe for disaster as innocent motorists get killed.
SOS and Armchair I gotta say rambo stated his points well and backed them up with examples. Do you have a comment on this article or are you just here for personal attacks? You incompetent pigs pointing the finger at one another is hilarious though. Oink Oink!
Armchair, I thought you were a little more informed than the average bear. I guess not though, after seeing your reply above. I was state certified at every department I have ever worked for. Kinda shows how much attention you pay to your friends or informants, eh?
My opinion on cop pursuits has nothing to do with a hatred of any particular cop. But, yes, there's a few corrupt lying cops I hate with a passion.
Hundreds of innocent people are killed nationwide during police pursuits. It wasn't that long ago off-duty Colonial Heights police Lt. James Sears was killed when the cop pusuing Beefy Brown lost control and hit his car. Work all his life, climb through the ranks, and killed in a senseless police pursuit by a rookie who thought he was Richard Petty.
When you read about 156 cops dying in so and so year, half of these deaths are usually the result of pursuits or rushing to the scene of crimes in progress. They can't drive well enough to get to the scene of a crime, much less expect them to handle a police car going 100 mph in city limits. God help the innocent citizens!
In addition to banning pursuits, I think the taser should be banned too. While often called a non-lethal alternative to deadly force, it sure is killing a lot of people nationwide. And it has actually already been banned in a lot of the more intelligent law enforcement agencies. And I also believe it's being used as a tool of intentional torture when anybody commits "contempt of cop" out on the street. Any cop who can't handle an 85 yeart old grandmother without tasering her has no business whatsoever carrying a badge and gun.
Yet, you are correct. It wasn't the Albemarle Police who initiated the arrest of Scott Hambrick. It was the law enfocement agency who was online pretending to be juvenile boys.
In reference to your other question, I'm not sure how much they pay out in awards on an annual basis. I imagine it would be pretty close to impossible to track. I think it's probably been at least $6 million in the last 5 years. Wasn't $4.5 million awarded to the family of slain Frederick Gray. He was also shot in the side and back and killed. Must not be the same guy you spoke of being shot 5 times in the back.
Mr/Mrs/Miss Tired, in reference to the roadblock you speak of, you have to remember the specialized "Traffic Division" has to justify their existence somehow. They don't want to be stuck back out on evening and midnight shifts where they can actually serve a meaningful purpose in detering and fighting real crime. Daylight hours, gravy train job, that's where it's at!
who is this idiot commenting on this blog? don't mention pursuit nowhere? ididots!!!!
Mr/Mrs/Miss Yet, you forgot several of the best.
A police captain soliciting juveniles on the Internet. (And similar accusations against another police captain that were never revealed publicly)
Charging a man in a 20 year old murder when they knew they had a snowball's chance in Hades of a successful prosecution. Rumor mill is the charge was only placed in an attempt to get the victim's family off their back. Rumor mill also says it was just a detective trying to make a name for himself.
An excellent police officer run out of town for publicly exposing the dirty laundry within a police department. The resulting lawsuits cost the taxpayer's a fortune.
Arresting a Greene County deputy sheriff for impersonating a Greene County deputy sheriff. This was going down in the history books, the first police impersonation arrest in the history of the Albemarle County Police Department. Or so the rookie thought. The sergeant on duty was later terminated.
Setting up a 220 pound former 50 year old white male deputy sheriff for a crime committed in Northern Virginia by a 20 year old 140 pound Hispanic male. A Northern Virginia rookie placed the charge not knowing they had been duped by a few local cops. Backfired in the local cop's faces too.
Numerous terminations for domestic abuse.
And one before you came to town... the most violent wife beater ever seen in this area rise from rookie to top line of command. He was never charged or prosecuted because his wife knew he would kill her if she ever testified against her.
In reference to your #7, it's a game now since the law was upgraded to a felony and carries mandatory jailt ime. They incite people into resisting arrest and assault so they can put 'em in jail for 6 months. They joke about it after the arrest, during the trial and the entire time the person is in jail.
Your #4 was a direst result of "contempt of cop". The couple actually had nerve enough to shout out for the cop to slow down and drive responsibly.
Hot off the presses, simple traffic infraction results in 7 innocent people being KILLED in a police pursuit!!!!!
I rest my case!!!
------------------------------------
August 9, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. ââ?¬â? The California Highway Patrol says a car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup, killing three people in the car and four young children in the truck.
The patrol says police in Dinuba, southeast of Fresno, were trying to stop the car Saturday afternoon for a traffic infraction.
The patrol says the truck was carrying two adults and their five children. Four of the children ââ?¬â? ages 1, 3, 4 and 7 ââ?¬â? were ejected and died at the scene. The fifth child ââ?¬â? age 8 ââ?¬â? and the parents were taken to a hospital. The adults were identified as 29-year-old Carlos Salazar Jr. and 26-year-old Jennifer Salazar of Orange Cove.
All three men in the car being chased were killed. Their identities and ages weren't known.
Sick,
"A police captain soliciting juveniles on the Internet. (And similar accusations against another police captain that were never revealed publicly)"
You should name names, as the police are apt to do. After all this guy WAS convicted, (the first one) because of the FBI, not Albemarle county. No, he was too popular in Albemarle County. I heard from a very good source that he also had created a basement dungeon, in which to house the intended victim, a child-a boy.
So what to do? Call the Department of Justice? The FBI? I am tired of this nonsense.
So many lives disrupted and ruined, because of a few stupid mean bully cops. Epps for a felony? For goodness sakes!!!!!!
Absolutely, not all cops are bad. Actually I think most are very decent, but their tolerance for the bullies among them is destroying all public confidence. I know it has mine.
Ohh, I agree. There's definitely an idiot posting here.
Channel 19
Charlottesville Police say just after midnight Friday a suspect broke into a home in the 700 block of Holland Avenue. The suspect stole a woman's purse containing car keys. Police say the suspect then drove off in a 2005 Ford 500.
Around 2:40am Friday, police radar picked up the stolen vehicle speeding northbound on Rugby Road. Police gave chase until eventually the suspect ran off the road at the intersection or Rugby and Preston Avenue.
Channel 29
It was a wild morning for one Charlottesville homeowner and police when the driver of a stolen car lost control and knocked off the top floor of a home. It happened about 2:30 Friday morning at the intersection of Rugby Road and Preston Avenue.
Charlottesville police say officers had just started to pursue a stolen vehicle going about 80 to 90 miles per hour when the driver lost control, went down an embankment, rolled across the roof of a home, and then crashed onto the other side of the house.
Yea, the Albemarle County police hate soccer moms you know. And I believe it is a police state.
Also, Sick, you might be the best source for this information. Just how much money has the Albemarle County Police Department cost in law suits? Is this a cost effective department? How many millions of dollars?
Yeah, that's Sick's modus operandi to a T. He makes accusations but never reveals names. Why? Because he's probably scared that the unjustly accused will come after him in a court of law, just like he's done.
If it's truly a matter of record that someone in a position of trust was convicted of a serious crime, or fired for misconduct, then why is Sick so scared to reveal who these supposed bad people are? Instead he drops hints that might make a reader assume it's a person who is, in fact, innocent.
So s**t or get off the pot, Sick. You can't have it both ways. Ad nauseum accusations with no proof offered to back them up is a coward's way of doing business.
Armchair Quarterback, Sneeziee and Sick of Sick, see what you all have done now???
You took my dislike of cop pursuits and turned it into another discussion thread about the good, the bad and the ugly of cops.
No. On second thought, scratch the word GOOD in the above sentence. :)
Just like Presidential approval polls are conducted every so often, I wonder what the figures would be if a similar poll was conducted about the local cop shoppes? More and more people are losing respect for our local cops. The problem needs to be fixed.
quote: "But here’s the differenceââ?¬â?? I do so when the situation directly warrants it. Not on every single bloody thread that mentions a crime, accident, red-light cameras, etc etc ad nauseum. I don’t high-jack the dialog to serve my own self-aggrandizing agenda."
Go back and study this thread. Start with the very first reply. You will see that I commented on cop pursuits, and only on cop pursuits. A few others ran the thread off topic very quickly and made it about ME. And just like a Lemming, whether you want to admit or not, YOU followed their lead. :)
You guys and girls please feel free to disrupt every discussion thread as often as you like. But once all of you make each and every discussion about me, you actually get what you despise so much. It seems like some sort of self inflicted punishment. It makes no sense at all.
Since this thread has now joined the ranks of anti-cop versus pro-cop in some minds, I have to agree with what "thinkingfree" just said. There's a very serious problem when a citizen feels the Virginia State Police is the only professional law enforcement agency in this area. And this problem needs to be fixed. when more and more people have serious doubts about the local cop shoppes.
I also notice that not person commented on the deadly cop pursuit I posted above. 7 people killed, 4 of them being young children. So, go back and read my very first reply again. See if you can connect the dots between my very first reply and my reply about the deadly crash. What a senseless waste of human life over a traffic offense! The results could have been the same in Charlottesville if some innocent motorists had been passing through the intersections of Preston, Barracks and Rugby.
FYI folks - I am in agreement that there is no place for a high speed chase in a residential area, as well as some of the BS Blue Wall situations that happen around here... However, from the Daily Progress - "A police officer detected the speeding car on radar and followed it, but the chase ended when the officer felt the car was going too fast to be safe for the public." This would explain why the PD did not find the driver of the car, because they were not actually chasing him at the time of the accident.
Although some officers are corrupt and in it for the thrill and or vicarious revenge, there are still some out there that take on the job for reason that it was created, to protect and serve. Please don't generalize all of police, there are still some good ones out there...
"I wouldn’t expect them to say anything else. It’s a canned response since so much damage was done."
The "chase" definitely ended WAY before the crash. I am in full agreement as well that high-speed pursuits are completely un-called-for, dangerous, and don't belong in residential city neighborhoods. However, this crash was not caused by an "adventurous" police pursuit. This crash was caused by some (almost certainly drunk or on who-knows-what) idiot who went 85 mph through an intersection without slowing down. It's unlikely that the police had even recently been chasing this idiot seeing as the rescue squad were the first people to get to the car. I just feel that needs to be clarified as, last I checked, this is an article about a crash caused by some idiot that destroyed a family's house, not a commentary on the state of our police force.
" quote: ââ?¬Å?The ââ?¬Å?chase” definitely ended WAY before the crash”Š. this crash was not caused by an ââ?¬Å?adventurous” police pursuit.”
And how do you know this? Because the cops said so?"
Because the driver (at 2:30 AM on a Friday morning...hmm...) stole a car, drove 85 mph down Rugby Rd, DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL for the intersection, and fled the scene (this we can agree upon I believe). Again, Rambo, I agree with you with your beef against high-speed police pursuits and am also aware of several less-than-honorable acts by police officers. There is certainly room for complaint and improvement. I just don't agree that this is the appropriate forum to rail out against the police force. Perhaps when more evidence comes to light these questions will be answered...
That's exactly why I am so quick to question what really took place -- The car DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL. As if a cop car was hot on his/her tail when he/she ran through the intersection and went airborne. Criminals do not slow down when there's a cop car chasing them. They usually go faster. Which could explain the 85 mph estimate of the speed when he/she crashed.
Did the cop car have video? Was the video in use? Did the video come on when the emergency lights and siren were activated? Will the video show a responsible decision by the cop to back off? Has the video been released to the various media outlets yet? That's the questions I would like to see answered. It will settle our debate easily. :)
an ididot is someone who is unable to copy and paste someone else's screen name!!!!
And your point, Rambo?
MY point was just imagining the horrifying nature of having a large object come barreling into your house only 10 feet from where you're sleeping. Whether it be a car being chased by police, or anything else. That was my point. But I see what people are complaining about in earlier posts, because here you go again, turning everything back around onto the one dimensional "How can I turn the focus into a neverending attack against the CPD and Albemarle County PD?"
I DON'T CARE HOW THE CAR WOUND UP WHERE IT WOUND UP. I was just imagining how scary and horrific it would be to have a large object come crashing through one's house when they're peacefully sleeping, and narrowly miss getting crushed by only 10 feet.
Soleil, can you imagine being 4 years old again and having a light pole come down crushing you to death? Read this...
Just like in the movies, the city of Los Angeles loves a good car chase ââ?¬â?? until, that is, it all goes horribly wrong.
A couple of months ago, a driver with lapsed registration became so alarmed by the wail of police sirens behind him that he raced into the Saturday afternoon traffic around a big shopping mall. Losing control at a pedestrian crossing, he bounced off a parked Mercedes and slammed into an elderly couple, Henry and Anna Polivoda, both of whom suffered horrific injuries and narrowly escaped with their lives.
Then, just a few days ago, police in central LA gave chase to a suspected car thief. The thief, driving a BMW, hurtled into the crowded area and hit a small van. The van hit a street light, shearing it off at the base, and the lamp came crashing down on top of four-year-old Evelyn Vargas, who died instantly.
Who should be held accountable for these accidents? Should the fleeing drivers take all the blame, or should the police also think twice before gunning up their engines for the chase, lights flashing, at times when a lot of innocent bystanders are likely to get in the way?
It's not an idle question. The Los Angeles Police Department initiates more car chases, leading to the injury of more people, than any other law enforcement agency in California. The state, in turn, leads the US in pursuit-related deaths, most of them occurring in LA. The reason for the lopsided statistics is simple. Most other jurisdictions will only initiate a chase if the driver is a known serious criminal. But in Los Angeles, any excuse will do.
It seems any excuse will do in Charlottesville and Albemarle County too.
SOTLR says: "But the bottom line is the car crashed into the house because he sped up when the blue lights behind him went on."
Are you saying that police officers should not turn on their lights to signal a car to stop? Instead, should they have shot out his tires with no warning lights or siren first?
How am I supposed to know when a cop wants to pull me over. And if I make the choice to panic when I see the lights and then hit a car, person, or house, then I'm not responsible-- the cop is? Sweet!
Are you saying that police officers should not turn on their lights to signal a car to stop?
Nope.
Instead, should they have shot out his tires with no warning lights or siren first?
Nope.
How am I supposed to know when a cop wants to pull me over.
You will see blue lights in your rear view mirrors.
And if I make the choice to panic when I see the lights and then hit a car, person, or house, then I’m not responsibleââ?¬â?? the cop is? Sweet!
Panic??? If you choose to flee and end up killing somebody, cops nationwide have been found to be at fault in certain cases. And in some cases they haven't. It's totally a question for a jury to answer.
If a car is fleeing from police on Rugby Road and the cop has pushed him to 85 or 90 mph, which in turn causes the driver to lose control and kill 3 UVA students, I think the cops would find themselves in quite a bit of trouble just for chasing a stolen and causing 3 deaths. That's my opinion, and I guess you are asking for my opinion, right?
Weird hobby I gotta say. Who doesn't love Ilsa, She Wold of the SS? But, other than that the uniform fetish thing is beyond my simple level of comprension.
I guess if I spent all my time in my momma's basement, I'd get it maybe?!?!
I'm just glad that Nura is okay---she was my teacher, and an excellent one at that. I'm glad ya'll are safe.
By the way, here's some quotes from real cops, what they have to say about cop pursuits. They are discussing the California cop pursuit gone wrong that killed 8 people. See if it doesn't match what I have been saying all along.
quote from cop "When drivers run, we chase. The faster they go, the more determined we are to catch. The longer it last, the more pissed we get...'that SOB aint getting away from me' mode kicks in quickly."
quote from cop: "You run, I chase ... END of story...
quote from cop: "I say chase em until they are caught. Oh well if you don't like it."
quote from cop: "Just two weeks ago in my county one of our local deputies was responding to a call running code and "T' boned another vehicle that crossed in front of him. Killed the female driver in the collision when her car caught fire."
http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127517
Seems all is NOT lost. There are still some responsible and intelligent law enforcement agencies (and cops) out there.
quote from cop: "Why are some departments still pursuing for traffic offenses, misdemeanors, or even non-violent felonies such as auto theft??"... We only are allowed to pursue for VIOLENT felonies, or crimes involving guns!!
quote from cop: "We only chase for crimes against persons, violent felonies, etc. Property crimes we do not chase for."
quote from co: "Pursuits are a no win situation. See a guy run a stop sign, light him up and he takes off. Now he's going 100mph blowing through red lights to get away.... At the next intersection he, still trying to flee from you, T-Bones a minivan and kills the entire family."
http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127295
Sick, if "everyone" knows who you are, then why don't you use your real name? Yet you continue to hide behind a fake one, which makes you appear disingenuous, to say the least. Especially when you repeatedly tell your story in the third person, rather than using "I" and "me." There's a very good reason why you don't want the general public to know who you are. Why don't you tell us that reason?
Married to a cop? Dainty feelings? That's rich. Clearly, you have faulty inductive AND deductive reasoning, old chap. There are no feelings involved here, just cold facts. I've been extremely critical of the police on many occasions, and right to their faces too, not just anonymously on a blog. But here's the difference-- I do so when the situation directly warrants it. Not on every single bloody thread that mentions a crime, accident, red-light cameras, etc etc ad nauseum. I don't high-jack the dialog to serve my own self-aggrandizing agenda.
Yes, we ALREADY know about Mike Baird. For the love of god, you've crammed that story down everyone's flippin' throat. But guess what? Lots of people already knew about him well before you ever uttered one word on the topic. He wasn't elected simply because he wasn't the best person for the job. As a matter of fact, he was an incredibly lousy candidate, and most definitely an embarrassingly piss-poor debater (a fault the two of you share). That was duly noted by everyone. You didn't save Charlottesville from Mike Baird, no matter how hard you try to spin it.
Your problem is that you treat your audience like they're mentally challenged, repeating the same tired lines over and over and over again. Get a new schtick because you've worn the old one down to a nubbin.
Nobody is trying to "get one up" on you. Honestly, I have no desire to embarrass you. You've already done that to yourself on too many occasions to count. There are many people out there who would have gladly been your allies, something you seem desperate for based on your exorbitant rate of self-involved posts per week. But instead, most people just roll their eyes when your name is mentioned. No, it's not the police behind it-- it's the general blog-reading public that's "Sick" of you. YOU turned what could have been a valuable public service (speaking clearly and informatively about police corruption) into a pathetic joke. At this point, it no longer matters if what you say is the truth. And that's sad.
At my age I've come in contact with police on numerous occasions,
fortunatly none of them serious. I could comment on on several issues relating to how cops view themselves and how they see the public at large. I could also tell someone why most cops become cops. But I won't. I will say this, Having lived in Virginia for
20 years now the Va State Police is the only law enforcement organization that brings any degree of professionalism to the table.
No I don't work in law enforcement, never have.
Hey Sick-- pot, kettle, black. Talk about goofy made-up names. But of course you're allowed to have a moronic name online because your mission is so incredibly noble and not at all self-serving, correct?
You're an internet troll. You tirelessly jack as many threads as possible in order to create pompous half-assed "teachable moments" for everyone. You make accusations, but present zero proof of those accusations. That's why your words lack credibility. The contrast between someone like you, and genuine cops with a beef like Karl Mansoor, is very telling. He's believable because he backs up his assertions. He commands respect. He's a man who served nobly as a police officer in a public capacity. You're a petulant baby who was a glorified courtroom babysitter and chauffeur to prisoners, and who was also apparently fired for sleeping on the job.
Some cops are bad. Many are good. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT. WE'RE NOT IDIOTS. If you can't offer anything more insightful than the drivel you've been producing thus far, then maybe you need a new hobby.
Mr/Mrs/Miss Har-de-har, the main difference is everybody knows who I am. You're just another anonymous poster who uses a different user name every time you post in the various threads. YOU hide behind goofy user names. I don't.
Apparently fired for sleeping on the job? You got that part right. The key word is apparently. The records can read whatever a sheriff wants them to read. The truth of the matter is I was suspended. I was fired when I filed grievance complaint over being suspended before a hearing. Ya see, I committed a cardinal sin, also known as "contempt of sheriff"! State code says a sheriff can hire or fire at will, with or without cause. So the sheriff exercised his right when I filed the grievance complaint against him. (Karl was pretty much in the same boat. He couldn't do a darn thing about it when the department made up it's mind to can him in an attempt to shut him up.)
While we're on the topic.... a sheriff being able to hire and fire at will is also why you see so many sheriffs hiring and promoting their family members and best friends. We even had this take place in Charlottesville, a son hired and promoted during his daddy's term of sheriff. But he had his butt handed to him recently when he decided he wanted to run for sheriff. I can name Sheriff's Offices statewide where friends and family are hired and promoted. In almost every case, it ruins moral within the department.
But anyhow, you honestly think you can embarrass me any more than a handful of lying corrupt cops attempted to do with a series of false arrests between 1997 and 2005? Keep dreaming, Cup Cake. Ain't gonna happen.
And as far as Karl Mansoor is involved, I feel confident he would tell people that everything I have said is true. If he really wanted to get involved. I'm sure he sees no need to get involved though. HaHaHaHa!
Which cop are you married to, living with or related to? I can probably tell you what his/her reputation in the community is for truthfullness.
And I do apologize if this thread has hurt your dainty little feelings. OK? All I wanted to discuss was cop pursuits until some of you jumped in with both feet thinking you could get one up on me.
Charming though the thread on the police chase issue is, just wanted to jump in and say that I hope that the family that has been displaced by this is doing ok and let them know that we're thinking about them. I can't imagine the terror of waking up to the sound of a car crashing through your roof only to discover that you'll be out of house and home for months to come. Hook, please let us know if there's anything that the community can do to help these folks out.
It's a new web site... idi-dot.com :)
hey sneezie, whats an ididot????
And your proof that the cop pushed him to 85-90 mph is... what, exactly? You keep stating thia as though it's a fact. Then you backpedal and act kinda like maybe it's just an opinion, then you state it as a fact again. Which is it: opinion or fact?
Provide proof.
quote: "The ââ?¬Å?chase” definitely ended WAY before the crash.... this crash was not caused by an ââ?¬Å?adventurous” police pursuit."
And how do you know this? Because the cops said so? Do you expect law enforcement agencies to admit they were chasing a suspect "full speed ahead" when a serious crash involving property damage or serious injury/death takes place? If you go on YouTube you can find many videos where cop pursuits have been called off by a supervisor, but the rookies just keep on going for that extra mile or so before acknowledging the supervisor's command.
Cop pursuits have been a pet peeve of mine ever since an Albemarle County cop car ran a stop sign and hit a Toyota pickup broadside. I still have an image of the totaled police Caprice on a hard drive somewhere. The couple in the truck are lucky they weren't killed.
It's also been a pet peeve of mine ever since an Albemarle County police car ran a red light in front of Stromberg Carlson and almost killed my then 8 year old daughter. With all the sound insulation in the newer cars, air conditioing on, radio on... you can't hear their siren. And you can't see the blue lights in broad daylight. Cops don't seem to understand this though.
What happened in this case? Don't know, don't care. But when an agency says they ended the pursuit before a serious crash, it raises serious doubts in my mind that the truth is being spoken.
Looks like my cut and paste skills are the win!
Another genius move by the Albemarle County Police was to set up a roadblock at Rairoad ave and Lanetown rd in Crozet at 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, What was this? "The soccer mom Dragnet"?
This was a terrible use of resources and a worse location. If this "task force" was set up to check the 200-300 people that live on Bucks Elbow or Yancey Mills, did they really need 10 plus police officers and 8 vehicles milling about for 3 hours? 20 citations for minor infractions such as bad inspection stickers is a tremendous waste of time and money. It's just another example of the heavy handed policing techniques employed by Albemarle County Police to harass it's citizens. I found it shameful. Where was the probable cause? I was stopped twice. Coming and going, ridiculous! This is not a police state! but they sure act like it is
Har-de-har, names aren't necessary. Some are exposed, criminally charged and convicted. Some aren't - if the police chiefs can let these individuals gracefully retire and walk into the sunset, never to be heard from again. In other words, sweep it under the carpet.
If I say anything libelous about any person, you're correct, they can sue me. Once the lawsuit is filed, we shall hold depositions of numerous witnesses who will back up every claim I have made. Among those witnesses will be the police chiefs themselves.
The cowardly way of doing things is to come into a blog, create a goofy name like "Har-de-har", and challenge somebody who is not afraid to speak the truth.
Hey Sic,
you don't have to go it alone. Just cut, copy and paste the link. Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn8orkOhvwM
http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/51027947.html
http://readthehook.com/blog/?s=blair+austin+silva+
This last link is really good, as one of the stories is about the reporter they subpoenaed in an effort to control the information the public is allowed. That will shup up those pesky reports, HUH!
I think you estimate is way low. The murdered man family got at least 6.5 million. I think more.
Every source I have seen claim the award was $4.5 million. $3.5 million in compensatory damages and an additional $1
million in punitive damages.
http://www.richfish.com/pdfs/verdict_11-27-06.pdf
quote: "...the chase ended when the officer felt the car was going too fast to be safe for the public.”
I wouldn't expect them to say anything else. It's a canned response since so much damage was done.
What do you mean "where is the video"?
You used to be in that line of work, so you'll be able to explain the whereabouts of this mysteriously missing video in great detail to all of us non-insiders. Explain to us how, whenever an idiot that lurks around local websites engages in idle supposition about the force, the police then run to grab the video, get over to the idiot's house as fast as possible, and sit down with the idiot to watch the video so he can rate their performance. Does Chief Longo make you popcorn to munch on while you watch it, too?
You're not playing with a full deck if you think that the police owe you a special explanation for what happened the other night. If you're so damned concerned about what is, to you, a cover-up, then launch a proper manly sort of investigation, instead of posting impotent whiny screeds from your Mommy's basement. Hey, here's an idea! Why don't you head on down to HQ and DEMAND to see the video?
...and when you do get the fruits of your manly demand, cut and paste a bit of it on the internet if you can. Great opportunity for your first post on your new website...
This is exactly why HIGH SPEED PURSUITS should be banned in congested or populated areas. I recall a few years back the city police were chasing a car down 5th Street at 95 to 100 miles per hour. Ohh, trust me, it's fun! Until an innocent bystander gets killed.
I would rather see the auto thief get away than read about the two people killed in bed while sleeping. which could have been the outcome of this particular HIGH SPEED PURSUIT.
Armchair: But at least he finally got one thing right about himself:
"Ohh, I agree. There’s definitely an idiot posting here"
Sick,
Quit hating on the police because you're jealous. We get it already. No department would hire you, so you became an auxillary with the Greene County Sheriff's office. Then you couldn't do that right either, we get it.
There is a reason that department's are getting rid of their auxillarys. That reason is because insurance wouldn't cover them because of a lack of training. So when you get on here and spout off your opinions, you should at least be honest that they come from an undertrained and underinformed point of view.
After living here for over a decade, I conclude that the police force both Charlottesville, but especially Albemarle county, should be disbanded completely. The courts should also be cleaned out, and replaced with people interested in justice instead of politics.
1. The bomber kids, who didn't do much of anything, except get victimized by the judicial system.
2. The Mom sentenced to jail for 7 years for a underage drinking party
3. Ticketing a wheelchair bound person, after hitting him with a police car.
4. Arresting citizens Austin and Sylvia after nearly running them down with a car, and throwing pregnant Austin to the ground when she protested. This case went to court, and was fought by the state only to reduce the blatant police liability.
5. Shooting an unarmed man 5 times in the back and murdering him.
6. Selective charging of individual persons, leaving out the most destructive, and including them that are the least of the damaging.
7. Behaving as bullies and thugs, such as when breaking a window on Elizabeth Epps car and inciting her. Than charging her with felony assult. Breaking windows is thug behavior-CALL A LOCK SMITH!!!
8. Checkpoints to harrass citizens, but mainly to increase revenue to get more police toys
I say remove them all. Perhaps the FBI can help.
from another Hook topic http://readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/30/hobby-or-harassment...
sneeezie August 12th, 2009 | 9:43 am
My mind? You were the one speaking of the private sex lives of male officers now. You asked if a male (me) was a scorned lover of one of them. Your ââ?¬Å?100% positive” is wrong. I received a phone call a few minutes ago asking which JADE officers were homosexual after the office had read your post here. They asked if you had mo confused with somebody else. I told them it was just another local blogger who didn’t really know how to drive their point home very well. It’s going to be all town now that you have claimed some of the JADE cops are homosexual. I knew it was a bad rumor to start once I read your post. Shameful!!
Sick Of The Local Rambos August 12th, 2009 | 9:44 am
My bad! I cut and paste SNEEEZIE in another thread and forgot to change back. HaHaHaHa!!!
which makes this from later all the more hilarious....
sick of the local blaa bllaaaa August 12th, 2009 | 7:38 pm
The sickest shifflett in the barn! and probly the smartest.
nope, it don't look like SS/SOTLR skillz really is the win.
ididots!!!!
What in the Wide World of Sports are you talking about?
Have you gone paranoid on us too?
"Charming though the thread on the police chase issue is, just wanted to jump in and say that I hope that the family that has been displaced by this is doing ok and let them know that we’re thinking about them. I can’t imagine the terror of waking up to the sound of a car crashing through your roof only to discover that you’ll be out of house and home for months to come. Hook, please let us know if there’s anything that the community can do to help these folks out."
_____
Glad somebody thought to bring this up. This is what the focal point of the thread should be, not all this back and forth ego wars. I can't even imagine what that would be like to wake up to the sound of a car smashing through your home at 85 mph....only **10 feet from where you're sleeping.** How terrifying. When I saw this story I read it outloud to my coworker because it was so nuts.
I don't quite get how a car can smash up at 85 mph and the driver can just get up and walk away so quickly, and without leaving a trace of blood? Without knowing the details of the story my first thought was that somebody had like, taped the gas pedal down and let the car go unmanned. "Where it stops, nobody knows..." You know, a prank or something.
This topic, IMHO, is actually about cop pursuits and the aftermath. it's fine to say a car crashed into a house. But the bottom line is the car crashed into the house because he sped up when the blue lights behind him went on. If the driver had just killed 3 people, heck yeah, chase him. If not, and without doubt, the stolen car will always turn up parked somewhere. Even if the car disappears forever, it's better than the public being put at risk and innocent people getting killed (like the two people sleeping in their own bed could have been). Keep in mind too that the vast majority of cop pursuits are initiated over simple traffic infractions.
I can tell you, most likely, and from my own experiences that nobody backed off in this pursuit until they saw there was going to be a serious crash. That's just the way it usually works. Is there any video from the cop car to discedit my belief?
In this particular case, it did not include death fortunately.
My point is that all cop pursuits nationwide should be banned by department policy unless the driver is a known violent offender. There's no excuse for chasing a stolen car into a minivan and killing five people. I can gaurantee you the wife and children of police Lt. James Sears would agree with me.
quote: August 9, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. ââ?¬â? The California Highway Patrol says a car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup, killing three people in the car and four young children in the truck.
The patrol says police in Dinuba, southeast of Fresno, were trying to stop the car Saturday afternoon for a traffic infraction.
The patrol says the truck was carrying two adults and their five children. Four of the children ââ?¬â? ages 1, 3, 4 and 7 ââ?¬â? were ejected and died at the scene. The fifth child ââ?¬â? age 8 ââ?¬â? and the parents were taken to a hospital. The adults were identified as 29-year-old Carlos Salazar Jr. and 26-year-old Jennifer Salazar of Orange Cove.
All three men in the car being chased were killed. Their identities and ages weren’t known."
UPDATE, AUGUST 15, 2009
A fifth child has died after a stolen car fleeing police in California ran a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck carrying a seven members of a young family, robbing a young couple of all of their children.
Dinuba police say that a carjacked Dodge Neon carrying the suspects sped away from police when an officer tried to pull the vehicle over for a traffic infraction Saturday afternoon. All three passengers in the Neon died when the car plowed into the truck, leaving a death toll of eight.
No one in the 1997 GMC pickup was wearing a seat belt, and the parents of the five deceased children, Carlos and Jennifer Salazar, remain in the hospital with moderate to major injuries.
Four of their young kids were killed at the scene, and a fifth ââ?¬â? 8-year-old Carlos Eric Salazar ââ?¬â? died at the hospital Sunday.
The four children who were ejected and died at the scene were identified as 7 year-old Jocelyn Grace Salazar; 4-year-old Monique Janae Salazar; 3-year-old Michael Alexander Salazar; and 1-year-old Sienna Rose Salazar, CHP Officer Felipe Martinez told FOX News on Sunday.
The Salazars were on their way to a youth football game, where 8-year-old Carlos was supposed to play, before the crash. Officers had been chasing the suspects in the Neon for four miles before the deadly collision.
Where is the video from the cop car to discredit my theory that the cop car never backed off long before the crash? That's just not the way it works in the real world. You should know this, after all, you are Reality Check. :)
I'll bet you $1,000 if the driver had stopped, gotten out of the car, and proceeded to violently resist arrest.... there would be a video to prosecute him with.
Sneeezie, alas, it will never happen. Acting in a direct fashion in order to get the video that is so clearly due him would require a degree of testicular fortitude that is sadly lacking in this instance.
Better for him to keep well within his neatly circumscribed comfort zone, tucked away safely at home, cutting and pasting conspiracy theories and what-if scenarios gleaned from his lonely travels throughout the internet police forums.