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Car Chase Drivers Often Get Wrist Slap for Dangerous Pursuits

Despite injuring others or causing property damage, drivers who try to outrun the cops often serve just months behind bars for chases that can put innocent bystanders at risk.

Police pursuits are something of a common spectacle in Southern California, with viewers flocking to their TV sets to watch what happens as cameras document each near-collision and reckless turn.

Surprisingly, though, few of the people who speed through city streets, sideswipe cars or crash into and injure other unsuspecting drivers while trying to evade capture spend much time behind bars for their dangerous escape attempts.

"I think your viewers will be shocked that a lot of your pursuits, those people are looking at getting four months for putting everybody at risk," said Tom Colclough, a deputy district attorney in San Bernardino County. "It’s not much of a deterrent — it really isn’t."

Colclough, a veteran prosecutor who has tried many cases involving police chases, said the current sentencing guidelines for attempting to evade arrest aren’t strong enough to make criminals think twice about their evasion attempts, which can be dangerous for innocent bystanders.

"I view it the same as somebody shooting a gun down the street," he said.

In one of Los Angeles’ most infamous pursuits, a group of armed bank robbers threw thousands of dollars out of the window during an hourlong chase from Canyon Country to South Los Angeles, with people running out of their homes to grab the flying cash.

"The gentleman that was driving the car that was part of this case was acquitted," said Moira Curry, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County. "He told the jury that he was forced to do what he did."

The other two men involved are now in jail for bank robbery, but not for the chase.

"They weren’t charged with evasion because they weren’t driving," Curry said.

Curry also believes that punishment for this type of crime should be raised, noting police pursuits put a large number of random people at risk.

"You can kill and hurt so many different people," she said. "And usually it’s the people that are, of course, innocent people."

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Estelle and George Jaivin know that all too well.

On a September afternoon in 2007 the couple was at a full stop at a West San Fernando Valley intersection waiting to make a left turn, returning home from lunch, when another car crashed into theirs.

An LAPD pursuit involving burglary suspects had ended in a five car collision, hitting the Jaivins from the passenger side.

"No warning whatsoever," recalls George Jaivins. "Everything went black."

He had to spend a month in the hospital with broken ribs and a severe head injury.

"I prayed every day and every night," his wife recalled.

The Jaivins racked up $650,000 in medical bills. The driver of the vehicle being pursued, Melvin Lane, suffered a broken wrist.

"I ended up with a metal plate in my head," said George Jaivins. "It was an accident that shouldn’t have happened."

Lane, the pursuit driver, pleaded no contest to multiple counts of burglary and evading arrest causing injury.

In June 2008 Lane was sentenced to almost eight years in jail for the pursuit, but was out on parole just three years later.

In February 2013, Lane was involved in another burglary and another high speed chase.

During that pursuit, Lane eventually got out of the car and took off into a neighborhood. His partner, Brittani Collins, took the wheel and continued to try to get away from police.

The pursuit ended after she sideswiped a city bus, took off running, and jumped a fence into the arms of police.

Colclough, the San Bernardino County prosecutor, tried that case and called their actions a “total disregard for the community.”

Collins pleaded guilty to the charges of burglary and evading law enforcement, but is serving her sentences simultaneously.

This means that she won’t serve any additional time behind bars for the dangerous chase than she would for the burglary alone.

Lane was sentenced to 23 years and eight months because of his prior burglary convictions. In his case, almost all of the time sentenced is related to the burglary charges.

Curry, the Los Angeles County prosecutor, said the leniency on such a potentially dangerous crime is unlikely to change.

"They are not going to make any laws that make sentences higher," she said. "Because they are right now trying to clear out the prisons."

Estelle and George Jaivins were unaware of Lane’s second chase until they were shown video of the incident by NBC4.

"I was shocked," Estelle said.

George said he was trying to understand how the crash that changed his life would seemingly have no impact on the man who caused it. He said he is frustrated, but not entirely sure who to blame.

"The system is broken."

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