As far back as 1990, the National Institute of Justice began urging law enforcement agencies to apprehend known offenders who flee from police on highways. These suggestions come amid startling statistics indicating that the majority of victims in pursuit-related crashes are not the offenders, but often innocent bystanders. Many jurisdictions have pursuit policies in place requiring officers to obtain permission to engage in and continue the pursuit.
However, in New York, no law enforcement department expressly forbids police pursuits. Between 1995 and 2015, there were 100 deaths that were tied to high-speed police chases across the state. This led to a median of five deaths each year. Two-thirds of these fatal chases took place outside New York City and Long Island.
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12 News WBNG reports that a New York State Trooper and three others were injured in a 2-county chase.
The pursuit began in Tioga County on Friday just before 9 p.m.
Police initially received a complaint about a suspicious vehicle and shortly afterward, a trooper who was on State Route 17 spotted the vehicle. After observing the driver commit several traffic and vehicle violations, the trooper attempted to pull the driver over.
The chase came to an end with a crash on the Vestal Parkway in front of the Mirabito gas station.
The trooper and three people in the fleeing vehicle were taken to UHS Wilson.
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The driver of the vehicle, identified as Christian J. Buck, is facing numerous charges, including reckless endangerment in the first degree, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawfully fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle, and reckless driving.
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