8 injured in Murrieta when stolen car pursued by police crashes

Eight people were injured — three critically — when the driver of a stolen car being pursued by police on Tuesday caused a fourcar collision, the Murrieta Police Department said.

The crash was reported just before 11 a.m. at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Nutmeg Street, said Dawn Morrison, a Murrieta

Fire & Rescue spokeswoman. Two people had to be cut out of one of the cars, she said.

Police Chief Tony Conrad said two of the most seriously injured were the fleeing driver, a man, and his female passenger.

Five patients suffered minor injuries. No officers were injured and none crashed, Conrad said.

The driver will be booked on suspicion of felony evading and possession of a stolen car, he said.

The intersection remained closed until 3:40 p.m.

The car being chased was stolen, Conrad said. He did not immediately have details such as the distance covered or how fast the fleeing car drove. The pursuit was approved by a sergeant, who had the option of calling off the chase. The pursuit was still active at the time of the crash, Conrad said.

All pursuits are reviewed by the department for tactics and adherence to department policy, the chief said.

Among the department’s guidelines on when to pursue:

• The seriousness of the known or reasonably suspected crime and its relationship to community safety.

• The importance of protecting the public and balancing the known or reasonably suspected offense and the apparent need for immediate capture against the risks to officers, innocent motorists, and others.

• The safety of the public in the area of the pursuit, including the type of area, time of day, the amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, such as in school zones, and the speed of the pursuit relative to these factors.

• Pursuits should be terminated whenever the totality of objective circumstances known or which reasonably ought to be known to the officer or supervisor during the pursuit indicates that the present risks of continuing the pursuit reasonably appear to outweigh the risks resulting from the suspect’s escape.