California Police Ram Fleeing Prius Injuring Innocent Bystander

On Thursday, January 11th, the Torrance Police Department was in pursuit of a suspected carjacker. When they caught up to the suspect they struck the vehicle he was driving and sent it sliding into a 66-year-old female bystander. Remarkably, she walked away from the incident without life-threatening injuries and police ended up also getting their suspect.

The Torrance PD in California initially responded to the Del Amo Fashion Center where they believed a carjacker to be. Four minutes after they rolled up a call came in about another carjacking in the same area. Police located the vehicle in question, a silver Toyota Prius, and gave chase.

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During that pursuit, one officer saw a window to disable the car potentially and took it by ramming the rear of the car as it appeared that the driver was about to bail out. What it seems that the officer didn’t see was 66-year-old Maria Salazar. As the Prius slid clockwise in the road it hit Salazar hard and knocked her into the curb violently.

Warning – some viewers may find the following footage disturbing

Despite what looks like an impact that could’ve been deadly, Salazar reportedly refused medical treatment and walked home. She told Telemundo52 about the incident: “I was crossing the street, and I don’t remember anything,” Salazar said. “I just felt the impact.” While she initially rejected medical attention, police confirm that Salazar later went to the hospital for care of her injuries.

In addition, the police nabbed their suspect who ran away on foot right after the crash. On the other hand, their tactics could’ve seriously injured or killed an innocent bystander in the process. Incidents just like this one contribute to multiple calls for scrutiny over the way that police do their job.

In this case, NBCLA called into question the use of the PIT maneuver, asking “Did they do that by the book?” While it’s clear that the public is best served when criminals are held accountable, some methods used to secure them are up for debate.

Image Credit: NBC News