One-third of police pursuits in 2006 led to crashes

HARRISBURG - One-third of the more than 2,100 police pursuits in the state led to crashes last year, although the number of pursuits fell.

Police gave chase 2,115 times in 2006, down nearly 5 percent from 2,215 the year before, the Pennsylvania State Police said yesterday.

The number of people killed in those pursuits dropped from 13 to 12, they said. All 12 were being pursued, a change from 2005, when three bystanders were killed.

About one-third of the pursuits, 697, resulted in crashes. Nearly half followed traffic violations, such as speeding.

All police agencies in Pennsylvania report their pursuit data to the state police database.

State police have been required to report the annual crash statistics since 1996. That year, police agencies reported 1,410 pursuits, leading to nine deaths. - AP