North Texas Police Officer Resigns After Hitting Pedestrians
COLLEYVILLE (CBS 11 NEWS) - A Colleyville police officer resigns after being involved in an accident in her patrol car. The accident happened as Corporal Jennifer Chavez drove out of the parking lot in front of police headquarters in Colleyville on Sunday night, October 21.
Chavez stopped at a stop sign, but then hit the gas and slammed into a couple crossing the street.
Iryna and Oleh Krutko were out on their evening stroll about eight o'clock that evening. Dashcam video from another officer's squad car shows the moments after the accident. Corporal Chavez and Oleh are on the ground trying to help his wife Iryna.
"There was no emergency call," the couple's attorney, David Hart, said. "She [Chavez] wasn't paying attention to where she was going and she did what a lot of officers do at that intersection -- cut the corner and went and wasn't watching for the pedestrians."
The couple says Cpl. Chavez was distracted. "She was going to turn left and she was stopped looking what we presume to be her computer screen in the cruiser," claimed Hart.
In a written statement to the police department Cpl. Chavez wrote she was going about 10 to 15 mph as she was making the left turn and that she tried to hit the brakes, but was unable to stop in time.
The couple's attorney wants to make sure their medical bills are now taken care of. The two are still recovering from their injuries. "We really want the City of Colleyville and all the other cities and police department to look at their policies with regards to distraction in the vehicle by the cruisers computers."
In an official statement Colleyville Police Chief Mike Holder said, "The Colleyville Police Department takes any accident, especially those involving one of our officers, seriously. The investigation of this incident concluded that all parties were culpable in the accident—the officer and the two pedestrians who were crossing a dark street, while wearing dark clothing."
Chief Holder said that Cpl. Chavez's resignation came after a family emergency. Holder also said in internal investigation found everyone involved in the accident at fault.
Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Police Department recently changed their policy, which now says, "Officers shall not type on the MDC (mobile data computer) when the vehicle is in motion unless an exigent circumstance exists requiring immediate action."
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