Post by stepthrutuner on Mar 15, 2011 21:45:58 GMT -5
I felt that since this topic has been up for about a week that many may not have seen this latest post which comes from the Texarkana Gazette of Thursday, March 10 2011. I feel that the police action taken against this motorcyclist was in error and unnecessarily caused the rider's death. It seems that Officer Steely's proceedures were discriminatory toward the smaller less massive motorcycle and caused the rider to crash into the Police Durango. I'm sorry, I am very upset about this and this is the latest account. The original post, of course is here and accounts vary widely.
49ccscoot.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=generalchat&action=display&thread=1448
Collision with motorcyclist ruled accidental
Officer on wrong side of road in attempt to intercept speeding biker in fatal wreck, report says
By: Eric Nicholson - Texarkana Gazette
NASHVILLE, Ark.—A police officer involved in a fatal head-on collision was driving on the wrong side of the road, according to an Arkansas State Police report.
The following account is taken from the report.
Officer James Steeley of the Nashville Police Department was on his way to meet his wife for dinner on March 2 when he received a report of two motorcyclists fleeing north on Arkansas Highway 27 from another officer. He turned south onto the highway in a police department SUV.
When he caught sight of the oncoming motorcycles, he crossed the center line to make his dash lights and frontal strobes visible. Once he realized the motorcycles weren’t going to stop, he veered right then left in an attempt to avoid them.
Andrew Biddle, 20, of Prescott, Ark., crashed into the front of Steeley’s SUV at about 6:15 p.m. He was traveling about 100 mph and was found about 50 yards from the point of impact.
Biddle was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner John Gray. A coroner’s report listed the cause of death as blunt-force trauma, which included an abrasion to the head and a possible spinal fracture.
The crash was listed as accidental.
“The motorcycles (sic) closing speed was too fast to allow adequate time for Steeley to avoid the collision,” according to the report.
The other motorcyclist, Biddle’s brother, 22-year-old Drake Biddle, stopped at the scene and was arrested.
Steeley returned to work Wednesday after a week of administrative leave, said Nashville Police Chief Dale Pierce. He said Steeley was emotionally shaken by the accident.
Nashville police have no written guidelines for conducting a chase, but Pierce said Steeley did nothing wrong.
“It’s just normal procedure,” Pierce said. “When you hear a pursuit or whatever, if you’re a responding patrol unit, you go towards the pursuit.”
Pierce had not yet seen the ASP report when reached Wednesday afternoon. He said based on conversations with Steeley and other officers, he thinks the accident would have been difficult for Steeley to avoid.
“It looked to me that motorcyclists were going to try to split the police vehicle again, and one didn’t make it.”
According to the report, Andrew Biddle had purchased his motorcycle three days prior to the accident and had spent the day in Nashville with his brother.
They were popping wheelies near Tyson processing plant on Cassady Street when they spotted a Nashville patrol car and panicked. They fled onto Highway 27 and quickly outdistanced the pursuing officer by traveling at a high speed and passing cars on the center stripe and right shoulder.
They had traveled a mile and a half when the crash occurred.
An investigation is ongoing, said Bill Sadler, Arkansas State Police spokesman.
Phone numbers listed for Biddle’s immediate family were disconnected or unanswered.
Pierce offered his condolences to the family.
“This is a tragic accident,” Pierce said. “It was very traumatic for the family, and I feel for the family for the loss of their son, but it’s just law enforcement doing their job.”
enicholson@texarkanagazette.com
"When he caught sight of the oncoming motorcycles, he crossed the center line to make his dash lights and frontal strobes visible. "----I'm sure Officer Steely would have taken the same action if the pursued vehicle had been a semi tractor trailer.
"Once he realized the motorcycles weren’t going to stop, he veered right then left in an attempt to avoid them."---- This would seem to me to be a textbook play in how to murder a motorcyclist.
“It’s just normal procedure,” Pierce said. “When you hear a pursuit or whatever, if you’re a responding patrol unit, you go towards the pursuit.”---- Uh, yeah, head on as a matter of fact.
"They were popping wheelies near Tyson processing plant on Cassady Street when they spotted a Nashville patrol car and panicked." ---- A heinous felony that deserves an immediate death penalty.
"Nashville police have no written guidelines for conducting a chase, but Pierce said Steeley did nothing wrong."
---- Something tells me that procedures will soon be developed after, if not before a very justifiable lawsuit.
“This is a tragic accident,” Pierce said. “It was very traumatic for the family, and I feel for the family for the loss of their son, but it’s just law enforcement doing their job.”---- Super sensitivity there.... the cops are always right.... but litigation may say otherwise if justice is served.
49ccscoot.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=generalchat&action=display&thread=1448
Collision with motorcyclist ruled accidental
Officer on wrong side of road in attempt to intercept speeding biker in fatal wreck, report says
By: Eric Nicholson - Texarkana Gazette
NASHVILLE, Ark.—A police officer involved in a fatal head-on collision was driving on the wrong side of the road, according to an Arkansas State Police report.
The following account is taken from the report.
Officer James Steeley of the Nashville Police Department was on his way to meet his wife for dinner on March 2 when he received a report of two motorcyclists fleeing north on Arkansas Highway 27 from another officer. He turned south onto the highway in a police department SUV.
When he caught sight of the oncoming motorcycles, he crossed the center line to make his dash lights and frontal strobes visible. Once he realized the motorcycles weren’t going to stop, he veered right then left in an attempt to avoid them.
Andrew Biddle, 20, of Prescott, Ark., crashed into the front of Steeley’s SUV at about 6:15 p.m. He was traveling about 100 mph and was found about 50 yards from the point of impact.
Biddle was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner John Gray. A coroner’s report listed the cause of death as blunt-force trauma, which included an abrasion to the head and a possible spinal fracture.
The crash was listed as accidental.
“The motorcycles (sic) closing speed was too fast to allow adequate time for Steeley to avoid the collision,” according to the report.
The other motorcyclist, Biddle’s brother, 22-year-old Drake Biddle, stopped at the scene and was arrested.
Steeley returned to work Wednesday after a week of administrative leave, said Nashville Police Chief Dale Pierce. He said Steeley was emotionally shaken by the accident.
Nashville police have no written guidelines for conducting a chase, but Pierce said Steeley did nothing wrong.
“It’s just normal procedure,” Pierce said. “When you hear a pursuit or whatever, if you’re a responding patrol unit, you go towards the pursuit.”
Pierce had not yet seen the ASP report when reached Wednesday afternoon. He said based on conversations with Steeley and other officers, he thinks the accident would have been difficult for Steeley to avoid.
“It looked to me that motorcyclists were going to try to split the police vehicle again, and one didn’t make it.”
According to the report, Andrew Biddle had purchased his motorcycle three days prior to the accident and had spent the day in Nashville with his brother.
They were popping wheelies near Tyson processing plant on Cassady Street when they spotted a Nashville patrol car and panicked. They fled onto Highway 27 and quickly outdistanced the pursuing officer by traveling at a high speed and passing cars on the center stripe and right shoulder.
They had traveled a mile and a half when the crash occurred.
An investigation is ongoing, said Bill Sadler, Arkansas State Police spokesman.
Phone numbers listed for Biddle’s immediate family were disconnected or unanswered.
Pierce offered his condolences to the family.
“This is a tragic accident,” Pierce said. “It was very traumatic for the family, and I feel for the family for the loss of their son, but it’s just law enforcement doing their job.”
enicholson@texarkanagazette.com
"When he caught sight of the oncoming motorcycles, he crossed the center line to make his dash lights and frontal strobes visible. "----I'm sure Officer Steely would have taken the same action if the pursued vehicle had been a semi tractor trailer.
"Once he realized the motorcycles weren’t going to stop, he veered right then left in an attempt to avoid them."---- This would seem to me to be a textbook play in how to murder a motorcyclist.
“It’s just normal procedure,” Pierce said. “When you hear a pursuit or whatever, if you’re a responding patrol unit, you go towards the pursuit.”---- Uh, yeah, head on as a matter of fact.
"They were popping wheelies near Tyson processing plant on Cassady Street when they spotted a Nashville patrol car and panicked." ---- A heinous felony that deserves an immediate death penalty.
"Nashville police have no written guidelines for conducting a chase, but Pierce said Steeley did nothing wrong."
---- Something tells me that procedures will soon be developed after, if not before a very justifiable lawsuit.
“This is a tragic accident,” Pierce said. “It was very traumatic for the family, and I feel for the family for the loss of their son, but it’s just law enforcement doing their job.”---- Super sensitivity there.... the cops are always right.... but litigation may say otherwise if justice is served.
I mean they spin you out and you could be killed potentially. 
