CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — An Interstate 10 police chase ended with a rolled car early Wednesday morning, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
Early in the morning, troopers tried to stop a possibly stolen vehicle speeding westbound on I-10 near milepost 188.
The driver, identified as 20-year-old Duncan Shepard of Mesa, refused to yield, and a pursuit began. Helicopter footage of the incident showed the vehicle losing its left tires.
Troopers were about to attempt a PIT maneuver when the driver lost control and drove off the road, officials said. The car was seen swerving off the highway, where it rolled twice and came to a stop.
Two people were in the vehicle when it came to a stop near Casa Grande and will be checked out medically before being booked in jail, DPS said.
The 20-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for internal injuries, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The driver was later booked into jail for theft, aggravated assault, criminal damage, unlawful flight, and marijuana possession.
"It’s a miracle those people got out of the car walking," said Alberto Gutier, Director at the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
From Gutier’s view, DPS did everything right in this scenario by trying to stop the car without impacting others on the road.
"I consider that a training video," he said after watching helicopter footage of the incident.
But each pursuit can be different. Earlier this year, DPS troopers were involved in a different pursuit along another stretch of Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak.
That chase turned deadly after the chase vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer, killing three people inside the car.
"Officers always have to evaluate the risks involved," said Andy Anderson, former assistant police chief with the City of Phoenix.
Over the phone, Anderson told 12News that said safe pursuits come down to technology advancements - like the grappler.
The device, made by an Arizona company, is designed to snag the wheel of another vehicle and stop it in its tracks.
Helicopter footage shows a grappler ready for use during Wednesday morning's chase. Gutier said the state invested in about a dozen more grapplers this year for DPS.
Anderson hopes to see technology go even further, like a way to just shut a car off rather than the risk it going out of control.
"We’ve got grapplers that can hook onto vehicles," he said. "We’ve taught officers the PIT maneuver. None of those are perfect. None come without risk and they don’t always work every time, so technology is always going to be the answer."
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Persecución policiaca en la I-10 termina con un auto volcado
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Deaths on Arizona roads
Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:
- 2011: 825 deaths
- 2012: 821 deaths
- 2013: 844 deaths
- 2014: 774 deaths
- 2015: 895 deaths
- 2016: 952 deaths
- 2017: 1,000 deaths
- 2018: 1,010 deaths
- 2019: 982 deaths
- 2020: 1,057 deaths
ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
- Don’t speed or drive aggressively
- Never drive while under the influence of substances
- Avoid distractions while driving
- Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
- When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
- Stay extra aware in work zones
- Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.