Stolen Vehicle Chase Leads to Driver Arrest, Missing Passenger

According to a KSAT News report, two people allegedly involved in burglaries were in a police chase early this morning, leading to the arrest of the driver and a search for the passenger.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office reported that they chased a stolen vehicle for roughly 15 minutes at around 4:30 a.m. this morning near Highway 211 and Highway 90 on the Far West Side of Bexar County. They caught and arrested the driver, but the passenger fled the vehicle around  East Amber Place and Walhalla Avenue. SAPD joined the search. The vehicle was full of fake IDs and weapons when it was captured.

Did You Know?

762 people died in police pursuits in Texas between 1996 and 2015

Filing an Injury Claim After Being Hurt in a Police Pursuit in San Antonio

The police perform an essential service when they chase down criminals on public roads — yet, innocent people can and do get hurt in the process in San Antonio. What happens when you get hurt in a police chase as an innocent bystander? Let’s take a look.

Determining Fault

When filing a personal injury claim, the first step is determining who is at fault for the accident. These kinds of accidents happen incredibly quickly and at high speeds, which can make it difficult to determine who’s at fault. Like every other kind of auto accident in San Antonio, fault is determined by who was behaving negligently at the time of the accident.

If you were hit by a police vehicle, the officer is at fault or will at least share fault with the suspect they were chasing. Factors that will contribute to the strength of the claim include:

• Reason for Pursuit — Was the officer chasing down someone who blew through a stop sign or responding to an emergency?
• Sufficient Warning — Were the lights and/or sirens of the vehicle on at the time of the accident?
• Officer Behavior — Was the chase being conducted somewhere where high-speed pursuits are prohibited? Were they driving on the wrong side of the road? Were they properly trained in high-speed pursuits?

Damage caps for police officers in Texas are $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. There are no damage caps for private citizens (i.e., the suspect they were chasing who could share fault in your accident).

Where Compensation Comes From

A personal injury attorney can work with you to accurately determine your full damages. At that point, we can determine how best to get your compensation. Sources of compensation include:

• Your own insurance,
• The insurance of the criminal the police were pursuing,
• A settlement offer from the police department,
• Or a personal injury lawsuit.

The police should chase and arrest criminals, but the police should never harm innocent civilians. Don’t hesitate to take action just because you were injured in a police chase. If you were injured in a San Antonio police chase as an innocent bystander, we can help.

Hire Carabin Shaw Auto Accident Attorneys in San Antonio

Lawsuits and settlements involving police officers can get complicated. Let us help you. Our auto accident attorneys have 30 years of experience and the resources necessary to take your case to court if we have to. Contact us today at 800-862-1260 for a free case evaluation. We always put our clients first because we care. We look forward to working with you.

¹KSAT News report