A fatal accident that killed three Hollister teens and severely
injured another Monday night was not the result of a high-speed
police chase, rather an unfortunate accident when juveniles tried
to escape police in a stolen car, said Capt. Bob Davies of the
California Highway Patrol.
Hollister – A fatal accident that killed three Hollister teens and severely injured another Monday night was not the result of a high-speed police chase, rather an unfortunate accident when juveniles tried to escape police in a stolen car, said Capt. Bob Davies of the California Highway Patrol.
“Stealing a car and getting in trouble is hardly worth your life,” Davies said. “It’s crazy.”
CHP Officer Matt Kostielney stopped the teens for running a stop sign and driving on the wrong side of the road on Frazier Lake Road a little before 10:30pm, but was unaware at the time of the stop that the car was stolen, Davies said.
As he was approaching the car to talk to the suspects it fled, accelerating up to about 100 mph, and he was too far behind the car before it crashed into a power pole to ever be in an active pursuit, Davies said.
“He did everything by the book – he broadcast that he was trying to overtake a vehicle, but it was all in a matter of a few moments,” he said. “These guys were clearly bent on getting away.”
The CHP’s official pursuit policy states that officers shall conduct pursuits in compliance with applicable laws and sound professional judgment, but are required to abort a pursuit when the risk of continuing outweighs the danger of permitting the subject to escape, according to the policy.
If Kostielney had been in active pursuit of the teens, this policy would have required him to terminate the chase, according to Steve Kohler, spokesman for the CHP in Sacramento.
“By our definition there really wasn’t a pursuit,” Kohler said.
By the time Kostielney ran back to his car and was able to begin following it, the car had already disappeared around a corner and was out of his sight, Davies said.
“He was trying to catch up, but was not in active pursuit because neither vehicle could see each other,” he said. “The suspects knew they were in a stolen car, so they had a much more powerful motive to leave quickly.”
Davies said he’s confident that the officer would have abided by CHP policy and backed off because of the extreme risk.
After witnessing the car’s explosion and death of the three juveniles who were trapped in the car, Kostielney was handling the aftermath of the situation well, Davies said.
If he chooses, counseling is available for him through the CHP, but he will not be taking any kind of leave, Davies said.
“We’re working to make sure his mental health is strong, and at the scene it was very strong,” he said. “Preventative medicine can often be beneficial, but with many of us it’s something we learn to deal with, and he’s dealing with it successfully.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
