Video of Pennsylvania State Police chase ending in crash puts pursuit policy under scrutiny

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (CBS) – Video obtained exclusively by CBS News Philadelphia of a Pennsylvania State Police chase that ended with two troopers crashing in Delaware County puts the agency’s pursuit policies under scrutiny and raises questions as to why the pursuit began in the first place.

The video showed state troopers chasing a Ford Taurus through a bustling Township Line Shopping Center parking lot in Drexel Hill around lunchtime Tuesday.

Earlier this week, eyewitnesses described what they saw and explained their concerns.

“It’s crazy because there’s a school zone and it’s been a work zone for the past week,” Allison Murtaugh, who works at a nearby restaurant, said. “Kids get out of school. It’s a church. Like I said, it’s a work zone, 15 mph on top of the school zone. They could’ve killed somebody on top of themselves.”

The video showed the car’s bumper dragging and the rear window gone. The car and its two occupants then exited the shopping center, making a right onto Burmont Road.

Investigators said the driver got away from police.

How did the chase start?

According to an internal police patrol alert we obtained, Upper Providence Township police claimed they spotted that Ford Taurus, believed to be connected to some unspecified thefts, many hours earlier on Monday night in Springfield, Delaware County.

The Taurus had a Delaware temporary tag partially covered by a black trash bag, according to the alert.

The driver’s head, according to the document, did not come above the seat headrest.

Police attempted to stop the car at Route 352 and Gradyville Road when the pursuit began.

Police chased the car for miles, eventually reaching Route 1, where eyewitness Evan Gross of Robbinsville, Mercer County, was driving at the time.

“I’ve never seen a police chase before, but it seemed to be kind of reckless the way they were chasing him,” Gross said. “I didn’t expect to hear the suspect got away and two police cars crashed.”

The police chase eventually made its way to Rolling Road and Route 1 in Springfield, at which time a state police spokesperson said, “Two Pennsylvania State Police vehicles that were assisting were involved in a collision between each other.”

However according to the alert, “The pursuit was terminated in the area of North State Road and West Rolling Road due to the operator driving in the opposing traffic lanes. The vehicle was last seen traveling on North State Road missing its rear bumper.”

The pursuit was terminated in the area of North State and West Rolling roads due to the operator driving in the opposing traffic lanes. The vehicle was last seen traveling on North State Road missing its rear bumper.

But a PSP lieutenant spokesperson said while their investigation into the state police collision is ongoing, he wouldn’t comment on the contents of the alert and why surveillance video showed the chase continuing a mile farther down the road, where the second crashed state police cruiser came to a rest.

Chase raises questions about state police pursuit policy

The latest chase happened less than a week after three adults and a pregnant teenager died in a fiery crash as police pursued their vehicle in connection with retail thefts in Concord Township, according to investigators.

Law enforcement sources said speeds in that chase reached 110 MPH.

More questions are now raised about Pennsylvania State Police pursuit policies.

We asked for a copy. A state police spokesperson said, “For public safety and officer safety reasons, our pursuit policy is confidential.”

A message seeking comment from the North Providence Township police chief, where the chase Tuesday began, was not returned.

Neither trooper involved in Tuesday’s crash was injured.

Police are still looking for the people who were inside the Ford Taurus.