Are Police Chases Too Dangerous For Other Drivers?

When should officers terminate a pursuit?  Driver Carla Lambert said high speed police chases do more harm than good.

Lambert said "I know they need to catch the criminals, but then again they cause innocent people to die."

A police pursuit in Birmingham ended with a family of three dead. Two robbery suspects lead police on a chase and allegedly collided their vehicle with the family's car.

Lambert said its accidents like the one in Birmingham that have her asking officers to find another way to catch a suspect fleeing from the law.

"They could have waited and picked them up later got the tag number or went to the house later," explained Lambert.

In an interview Wednesday morning Sheriff Andy Hughes explained his office's policy on high speed chases. Hughes said when a fleeing suspect puts other drivers in danger his deputies are instructed to get the suspect off the road.

"We're  going to take our car and we're going to force them off the road in a pit maneuver any way we can and as safely as we can so we can protect other members of the community who are obeying the law," said Hughes.

Hughes said the time of day and where the chase takes place determines how deputies handle the situation.

"It's a little different if we're out on an open highway at two or three in the morning chasing somebody rather than in the afternoon trying to come into a congested area here in the county," continued Hughes.

Hughes encourages drivers to move off the road if they see a pursuit in progress.