Woman killed during police pursuit through Rose Park neighborhood

SALT LAKE CITY — A suspected drunk driver led police on a chase Saturday, which ended with a woman in another car dead.

Now, there’s an investigation focused on the tactics used by police.

As KSL’s Morgan Wolfe reports, some are questioning if police should have been speeding through their neighborhood.

“You can see all the traffic just on a Monday afternoon,” said Marci Healy.

When it comes to her neighborhood, Marci Healy is protective.

“That’s why I’m speaking out,” she said. “For the victim.”

She witnessed police chase a suspected drunk driver on 1200 West around noon Saturday.

“Just this brown truck barreling towards us,” she described.

The chase ended in a Rose Park neighborhood.

“It’s very upsetting,” said Healy.

Our officers are helping North Salt Lake Police on an investigation at 1200 W and 500 N. No SLCPD officers were involved with this incident. All media inquiries must be directed to the North Salt Lake Police Department. A NSLCPD PIO is on scene. #SLC #SaltLakeCity #SLCPD pic.twitter.com/2BAQeMNIHI

— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) October 16, 2021

The chase didn’t start in Salt Lake City. It was first reported up in Davis County, according to the North Salt Lake City Police.

A spokesperson told KSL-TV Saturday that the driver was suspected of having an open alcohol container in the car and was possibly driving drunk.

When asked how fast she thought they were going, Healy replied, “Freeway speeds, at least.”

She’s wondering why police were chasing the suspected drunk driver on a street where you could find a school, a church and a grocery store, all within a mile of each other.

KSL’s Morgan Wolfe looked at the North Salt Lake Police’s pursuit policy. It’s 12 pages and outlines what factors police should consider during a pursuit – mainly, weighing the reason for that pursuit against public risk.

When it comes to speeds, the policy lists three reasons to terminate a pursuit:

1. If the speeds become unsafe for surrounding conditions
2. Have exceeded driving ability of the officer
3. Are beyond the capabilities of the pursuit vehicle, thus, making its operation unsafe

“I just don’t think it is okay from what I understand, and that’s why I am speaking out,” said Healy.

A North Salt Lake police spokesperson told KSL-TV that Salt Lake City’s police department is now handling this investigation of the incident.

Healy supports law enforcement reviewing their pursuit procedures, given the death of a woman and the risk, she says, to everyone in the area – including the officers that were driving after the suspect.

“I honestly think we’re lucky nobody else was killed,” said Healy.

We have not been updated on the status of the other woman in the car that was injured – or the condition of the two men in the truck that led North Salt Lake police officers on the chase.