A Fergus Fall City Council member reportedy fled a traffic stop in northwestern Minnesota, led police on an 11-mile chase, then died after crashing head-on into an unoccupied police car.
Timothy Rundquist, 62, was a Fergus Falls City Council member, serving on the council’s public works and safety committee. He’d been elected in 2012 for a term that ran through 2016.
According to the Fergus Falls Journal: Rundquist was stopped Monday night by a state trooper near Elbow Lake, then fled the scene. During the 11-mile chase, state troopers and three other law enforcement agencies tried unsuccessfully to stop his car with stop sticks. Finally, on Hwy. 59, near I-94, Rundquist collided head-on with a parked, unoccupied Ashby Police Squad car.
Rundquist was trapped in his vehicle, then was pronounced dead at the scene.
Why chase?
These chases make me sick. The driver fled for some reason. He went dangerously fast and ended up dying. It’s a good thing he didn’t hit anyone innocent – more innocent than him.
Why do the police do this? Why not get close enough to get the license number and then back off – so no one gets killed?
Confused
Curt Nelson, I don’t understand your point of view. You’re against police enforcing laws? Here are just a few reasons that come quickly to mind, as to why they would pursue this person, though it may be dangerous:
1. He was stopped for something initially. Impaired or dangerous driving? So just let an impaired dangerous driver keep at it?
2. Tracking the license plate to its owner is useful. Unless the plates or the car are stolen, then your bad guy gets away.
3. He fled. Why? Did he just commit a crime of passion, or was he planning to? People who flee the police usually have a reason, and it may be a dangerous one.
4. Law enforcement officers are supposed to enforce laws. You and I are supposed to take license plates of dangerous drivers and report them. We don’t need police if they don’t apprehend criminals.
It’s too bad anyone died, and damn good no one else did, but this happens when one flees law enforcement.
more harm than good
Timothy Jenson, If your response to my comment is that I’m against police enforcing the laws, I doubt I can make you understand my point.
When the priority of police shifts from protecting public safety to insistence on submission to their authority, safety goes out the window and the worst outcomes become inevitable – people die. This is what happened to Eric Garner when police decided that the number one thing was forcing him to submit to their authority. Never mind that police officers or suspects can end up dead, in high speed car chases the chances of someone innocent being hit are too great to justify such a tactic.
Why do we enforce laws? So no one gets hurt. Why then create the very harm the laws are in place to prevent? There must be a better way to protect the public when someone who has apparently done nothing wrong or has committed a minor offense decides to run.