Teen critical after road-spike crash

[Grum]

Teen critical after road-spike crash
Email Print Normal font Large font Craig Dixon
November 30, 2006 - 10:17AM


A teenager was critically injured when an allegedly stolen car driven by a 16-year-old slammed into a tree and burst into flames after hitting road spikes laid by police.

Police placed the spikes on the Goulburn Valley Highway at Numurkah, central Victoria, after calling off a high-speed pursuit yesterday.

A police spokeswoman said the chase was abandoned after the vehicle reached speeds up to 170kmh. She said the spikes, also known as "tyre-deflation devices" and "stop sticks", were placed on the road 40kms from where the pursuit was called off.

She said that, although police had ended the chase, they decided to lay the spikes because the car was "barrelling towards Shepparton and peak hour traffic".

After crossing the spikes, the driver lost control and the car smashed into a tree just before 5pm.

Police pulled a teenager from the wreckage and put out a fire in the car before pulling another teenager from the wreck.

The 16-year-old boy from Campbellfield, in Melbourne's north, was taken by ambulance to the Goulburn Valley Base Hospital in Shepparton with minor injuries.

The 18-year-old male passenger, also from Campbellfield, was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition.

The Major Collision Investigation unit is investigating the crash.

The police spokeswoman said that road spikes had been exdtensively trialled by police since the State Government introduced them last year but she was unaware of any previous incidents involving their use.

Unveiling the devices last year, then Police Minister Tim Holding described them as "an important part in making sure that road pursuits . . can be ended safely".

About 200 "stop sticks" were to be issued to stations around the state, with about 8000 police expected to be trained in their use.

The spikes are designed to be thrown across a road as a vehicle approaches and are meant to bring it to a controlled stop.

theage.com.au, with AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...777689919.html

[Polyal]

Well better them instead of an innocent bystander. How stupid are some people, the percentages of people that actually get away must be very small.

[photn]

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by photn

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

What and its better to just let them go? That would set a good example and be a great deterant.

edit:...LOL changed ya post huh :newangel:

[photn]

Originally Posted by Polyal

What and its better to just let them go? That would set a good example and be a great deterant.

edit:...LOL changed ya post huh :newangel:

yahuh i saw how i could of been miconstruded as taking there side....hey im on the police side. i know they where speeding being wreclkess and needed to be stopped. but watch the american police series things and when ppl hit the spikes. they tend to not end up nicely....i just thought that there could be another meassure......

[pb02]

Originally Posted by photn

i just thought that there could be another meassure......

There is! DON'T RUN FROM THE POLICE!!!!!!!!

[brendan88]

Don't steal cars it simple. I don't think those ******* will ever do it again lol. Well done to the Police for catching them.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by photn

yahuh i saw how i could of been miconstruded as taking there side....hey im on the police side. i know they where speeding being wreclkess and needed to be stopped. but watch the american police series things and when ppl hit the spikes. they tend to not end up nicely....i just thought that there could be another meassure......

Haha who gives a toss! I can see it in a few months, their parents on ACA or something alike having a sob story / crack at the police, how many times have we seen police get into the shit for running kids in stolen cars up trees over the years, too many.

Im over criminals, they all get off too lightly.

[photn]

Originally Posted by LSTerritoryGhia

Haha who gives a toss! I can see it in a few months, their parents on ACA or something alike having a sob story / crack at the police, how many times have we seen police get into the shit for running kids in stolen cars up trees over the years, too many.

Im over criminals, they all get off too lightly.

true the whole mac fields thing......i spose that i just see any loss of live regardless of what laws they are breaking as bad...but thats just me., ( i dont intend to stir up a storm or anything. please if you dont like my point of views. just ignore my posts)

[S3SR]

Originally Posted by photn

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

that or open fire on the car? like some already said better those idiots then some other guy or yourself hey.

any money they get off lightly

[drcook]

Originally Posted by photn

there has to be other Methods....

list them.

[Full Noise]

I sincerely hope the tree wasn’t badly injured and I wish it a speedy recovery.

Originally Posted by photn

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

We were all diverted through Katamatite so I didn’t get to see any of the action. While I was in Shepparton I saw the MCIU drive through town. Had I have known at the time that these were the circumstances of the accident, I would have grabbed the officer in the Territory and given him a handshake that probably would have broken his fingers. Then I would have had my photo taken with him.


And for all those bleeding hearts out there that want to defend these fools, ask yourselves this? How would you feel if they hit a car with your loved ones travelling inside instead of the tree?

My 2c

[red_hotxr6]

Originally Posted by photn

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

Actually i thought it was an kiwi invention>

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by photn

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

Spikes are the first and thus far only resolution strategy used by Victoria Police for pursuits. They are designed to deflate the tyres, not blow them out. The sticks are hollow metal tubes, sharpened ends inside their containments. When a vehicle's tyre hits one, it is supposed to deflate the tyre over about 15 seconds so not to cause an accident. But Vic Pol policy still only allows their use on open road.

[Blue Oval Mopar Man]

Originally Posted by photn

another wonderfull american invention. and as most of them designed to be "SAFE"...

now dont get me wrong....what those kids where doing is stupid and wreckless. but spikes....come on... there has to be other Methods....

Oh , OK, Blame the USA for these Knobheads risking the lives of others. If the cops just let them careen on their merry way and ended up killing someone innocent motorist their would be hell to pay !I These little r kelly's got exactly what they were asking for !!!!!! Only trouble is they survived !

[pb02]

Exactly, however I'm sure some minority group will blame the police and the use of the spike strips......
It's stupid to think that you can get away with things like this. We are all responsible for our OWN actions!

[EA2BA]

they hit the spikes, probably panicked and hit the tree, they started it, the police finished it, all is fair when you knowingly break the law.

[GCFordChic]

Dont you just love the media... :yeees:

"I know! Why dont we just blame the police and the spike strips?"


_

[pb02]

Originally Posted by GCFordChic

Dont you just love the media... :yeees:

"I know! Why dont we just blame the police and the spike strips?"


_

I agree. It will either be the fault of the Police or the fault of his parents.
After all, he's just some innocent kid whose parents didn't teach him better : (please note the sarcasm!)

Just once I would love to see justice and see someone punished for the actions they take.

[4.9 EF Futura]

Originally Posted by GCFordChic

Dont you just love the media... :yeees:

"I know! Why dont we just blame the police and the spike strips?"


_

EXACTLY!!!!!

It's like a fricken magic trick. "Watch, as i transform this CRIMINAL into a VICTIM before your very eyes".

Abaracadabra.

Of course its horrible that the criminal was killed... but one might argue that stealing cars and leading police on high speed chases is a fairly dangerous occupation. At 170km/hr, a rock will be enough to send you into a tree.

If extreme measures needed to be taken to protect innocent road users then... thats the way the cookie happened to crumble.

[Ford_Boy]

good work by the police. id rather them lay spikes then excede speed limits and endager people around them.

[merlin]

I think road spikes are a relativley safe way to end a pursuit with obvious rare exceptions- who cares what happened to the scum bag car theives - not me. No one innocent died thats the main thing.

[Grum]

I just feel sorry for the poor tree....

[I6corp]

Originally Posted by Grum

I just feel sorry for the poor tree....

Yeah... Wait until the Greens hear about this, all hell will break loose :evilsasmo

But on a serious note, road spikes have proven again, and again that they work...
and in most cases are safe..

But there is always going to be the rare occasion when it turns bad.

[Mechan1k]

By the sounds of the article the Police did a good job in stopping the vehicle. They were doing 170km/h anyway ... trying to control a vehicle with flat tyres at that speed would be near impossible anyway.

They are lucky to be alive ... but the main thing is they were stopped and caught .. and they are off the road ... also that no innocent people were hurt.

Well done to the Police.

[Piotr]

The Police did there job very well. I have NO sympathy for the people involved in the crash. I would much rather see cars being spikes and coming to a halt that way. If you are running from the police how dare you turn around and critisize the police for saving lives.

How many times have you heard about people being injured or killed when a car running from the cops have hit another vehicle. Im much happier seeing a small increase (If any) in the crash rate of fleeing cars if it will stop or reduce inocent victims from being hurt.

[XCSEDAN]

i'm not a fan of anything that deflates a tyre, clearly if the police called off the chase then the bloke wasn't gunna slow down, and personally i don't know why on earth they would put them out 40km after the chase had ended!
flat tires at high speeds make the car pretty much uncontrolable!
god dammit our government is stupid!
but then again they could think of another way to slow the car, maybe like wat they do off 2 Fast 2 Furious LOL make an EMP thingo that sux all your batteries power!

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by XYSEDAN

i'm not a fan of anything that deflates a tyre, clearly if the police called off the chase then the bloke wasn't gunna slow down, and personally i don't know why on earth they would put them out 40km after the chase had ended!
flat tires at high speeds make the car pretty much uncontrolable!
god dammit our government is stupid!
but then again they could think of another way to slow the car, maybe like wat they do off 2 Fast 2 Furious LOL make an EMP thingo that sux all your batteries power!

So we should just let them get away?

I dont think so, the only reason they uses spike strips now is because there was so much up roar about police and high speed pursuits, since a few kids over the years have been killed due to driving up trees when been chased.

[Blue Oval Mopar Man]

Originally Posted by XYSEDAN

i'm not a fan of anything that deflates a tyre, clearly if the police called off the chase then the bloke wasn't gunna slow down, and personally i don't know why on earth they would put them out 40km after the chase had ended!
flat tires at high speeds make the car pretty much uncontrolable!
god dammit our government is stupid!
but then again they could think of another way to slow the car, maybe like wat they do off 2 Fast 2 Furious LOL make an EMP thingo that sux all your batteries power!

Yeah right XYSEDAN , too bad we all dont live in hollywood huh ?????

[Dezza]

They got themselves killed, and it was their fault for breaking numerous laws. Thankfully they didn't injure any innocent people, but I have no time for car thieves. I know that a life was lost, but maybe that might teach people a lesson. Don't steal cars and try to flee the cops. You're not doing yourself any favours.