Officer in fatal chase likely pursued suspect too closely
The Moraine police officer in a deadly high-speed chase said he probably was pursuing a suspect vehicle closer than the suggested distance before the fatal collision occurred, newly-obtained records show.
Officer Matt Barrie said his chase Sept. 11 of a Jeep suspected of being stolen “was likely closer than” the three to six seconds recommended for pursuits “except while clearing and immediately following intersections,” according Moraine Police Division documents obtained by this news organization through a public records request.
Barrie, the 2017 Moraine Officer of the Year, also said he was not wearing his safety belt for at least some portion of the chase on Ohio 741, which records now show reached 85 miles per hour.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the southbound pursuit resulted in the cruiser Barrie was driving colliding with a northbound car driven by local Realtor Mary Taulbee, who died from injuries in that crash, according to the coroner’s office.
The car driven by Taulbee — who had worked for years in Dayton, Englewood, Miamisburg, Springboro and Washington Twp. — was propelled into the southbound lane after colliding with a car driven by a Centerville man, according to highway patrol.
Brandon Miller, 32, wrecked seeking to avoid the oncoming Jeep, officials said.
Alyssa Irwin-DeBraux, 18, was later arrested on suspicion of grand theft in connection with the theft of the Jeep, which flipped near the Dayton Mall within minutes of the fatal crash.
Irwin-DeBraux has been since been indicted on that charge. She has been in the Montgomery County Jail since the night of the wreck and her case has been continued until Oct. 29.
Barrie was had the road sergeant’s permission to pursue the Jeep, Moraine Police Chief Craig Richardson has said.
The chase began at Ohio 741 and Jomar Avenue just after 6 p.m. and lasted two to four minutes, ending in the fatal collision at Carnation Road, where the police cruiser was going 80 mph, records show.
Barrie, 28, was placed on paid administrative leave after the accident. He returned to work on Sept. 17, according to the city.
A Sept. 28 Moraine police document filed by Sgt. Andy Parish states Barrie “quickly returned to work and resumed his contributions to the shift and division as a whole. I commend Officer Barrie for his strength and fortitude.”
In an Oct. 4 interview with Parish, Barrie was asked to critique “his actions and decision making” during the chase, “Barrie thought he handled it very well, despite the crash,” records show.
“He acknowledged that he should have been wearing his safety belt the entire time,” police records show. “He claimed he took it off when he thought Irwin-DeBraux was going to bail from the vehicle. He understood the importance of his seat belt.
Parish spoke with “Barrie about the feasibility and benefits of waiting for a second unit before initiating a pursuit. Officer Barrie agreed but denied the feasibility in this case.”