Milwaukee woman calls for change to police high speed chase policy after family is injured in crash

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee woman said she is counting her blessings after her family was involved in a crash Thursday, Nov. 30.

The crash happened during a police chase near west 63rd and Forest Home.

"Insane it was crazy, a mess, the whole road trashed with pieces of the cars," said Millary Rachel.

That was the scene 30-year-old Rachel came upon Thursday night when her mother and niece were in car crash, because of a high-speed chase involving the Milwaukee Police Department.

"We just sat there, and we just looked at each other in shock like we couldn’t believe that just happened," said Rachel.

In video obtained by CBS 58, you can see a white pickup truck plowing into oncoming traffic hitting a black vehicle near 63rd and Forest Home.

The driver continued to drive down the wrong side of 60th street, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic.

Rachel said her mother and niece were left with injuries.

"They were innocent you know? They were just driving, and they get the consequences for just driving because the police are chasing them(suspects)," said Rachel.

Milwaukee police Captain Timothy Leitzke said police officers take various factors into consideration before starting a chase, such as road and weather conditions, and if the suspect their following is a known threat to the public.

"Is it putting the public at risk? Is it putting ourselves at risk? is it even putting that suspect at risk?" said Leitzke.

Police say that Thursday's high-speed chase was just one of more than 800 chases this year.

Back in October, a one-year-old child was rushed to the hospital after a pursuit.

A gas station brick sign reduced to rubble after this police chase, and earlier this week, a school bus flipped after a driver crashed into it while fleeing police.

"I would like the police to figure out a better alternative when it comes to these chases," said Rachel.

"We absolutely can empathize with the community and so our endeavors to work with the community to change the calculus to reduce this type of behavior is ongoing because we understand what they are dealing with in their neighborhood," said Leitzke.

As for Thursday's night crash, police have not released if there have been any arrests.