Highway patrol chase policies need a second look

Patrick was driving recklessly and at a dangerous speed, trying to elude state troopers on May 10. In a split second of tragic timing, he ran a red light at Kerr Avenue and College Road and Murdock, on his motorcycle driving home from an overnight shift at Corning, struck the car. Patrick kept going and later was stopped by force. Murdock died at the scene of the crash.

Some people have questioned the safety of car chases by law enforcement. Agencies have policies they are supposed to follow in such cases. The highway patrol gives its troopers wide discretion.

Hindsight, of course, is 20/20, but in this case we do question the decision of the troopers to continue the chase into Wilmington, especially since the initial attempted stop was for driving 79 in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 74 in Brunswick County.

When a pursuit begins, officers face a dilemma: do I need to stop this speeding and reckless driver, or is he speeding and driving recklessly because I am chasing him?

If the troopers had broken off the chase, Patrick may very well have continued to speed and drive recklessly into Wilmington. Would we then be asking why the troopers did not stop him when they were trailing him?

Getting pulled for speeding on a highway is a common occurrence. Most people pull over. Patrick did not. Even after he killed Murdock, he continued to flee.

Our concern is that at 7:15 in the morning, there already are plenty of commuters and school buses out, and students standing on the side of the road waiting for buses. That is where we feel the troopers should have used more discretion and broken off the chase. Perhaps the highway patrol needs tighter guidelines, especially when the chase is on surface streets.

That being said, unless some other evidence emerges from the investigation, the troopers should have a clear conscience. They did what they felt was necessary at the time, and, best we can tell, followed highway patrol guidelines (The WPD and New Hanover Sheriff’s Office have stricter policies).

In the end, Eduard Patrick, who has confessed to the crime, is the sole person to blame for this tragedy.

We should take any lessons we can from this incident, but the primary lessons are simple -- don’t speed, don’t drive recklessly and don’t run from law enforcement.

We wish Eduard Patrick had learned those lessons. Shaun Murdock and his family and friends are paying the price for his neglect.

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