Another high-speed police chase in the Hampton Roads of Virginia (VA) has ended tragically – with the death Saturday of Reginald M. Butler of Virginia Beach.
Saturday’s chase was one of a number of recent chases. In September, my colleague Jim Lewis wrote about a lengthy chase that went from Virginia Beach to Norfolk and back to the Beach.
And in July, my colleague Randy Appleton wrote about a high-speed chase that started in Chesapeake and ended in Newport News.
The chase started when Virginia Beach police tried to pull Butler over near the intersection of Lynnhaven Parkway and Princess Anne Road shortly before 2 a.m., WAVY-TV reported.
A police officer wanted to stop Butler for speeding, WVEC-TV reported, but Butler would not pull over.
Instead, authorities said, Butler led police on a three-mile chase at speeds as high as 100 miles an hour.
Butler led police west on Lynnhaven – passing within a block of his own home in the process – but lost control of his car shortly after he crossed Indian River Road and went off the road to the right, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
Butler overcorrected, went off the road to the left, rolled over and crashed into the home at 1701 Chilhowie Circle, on the corner of Chilhowie and Lynnhaven.
Butler was thrown from his car and was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived in the 1600 block of Handcross Way, The Pilot reported.
While I support police efforts to keep the roads safe, I hope officers use common sense when engaging in these high-speed chases.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.
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