We are shocked and saddened by the death of the 45-year-old man who, while riding his bicycle on Manning Boulevard, was hit by a speeding truck. The vehicle was driven by an intoxicated person and was being pursued by authorities in a chase initiated by an Albany County Sheriff's deputy.
This tragic event once again raises the question of the use of the high-speed chase. The driver was drunk and deserves the maximum possible penalty for manslaughter. The authorities apprehended the driver, but was his capture really worth the cost, paid by the loss of the life of a human being?
Obviously not. With today's technology, isn't there a better and safer way to enforce the law?
Is the high-speed chase a matter of official policy, or is this event just one more example of authorities not able, or inclined, to control the adrenalin surges that are an inevitable part of the job? We ask the same question of our own city's police department as well.
If the high-speed chase is not official policy, those involved should be dismissed, in our opinion. On the other hand, if the policy is to conduct high-speed chases, that policy should come under immediate review.
Either way, the authorities, sworn to protect the public's safety, have contributed to the death of a man in the prime of his life — a deplorable situation.
BOB AND MARY BETH BLACKMON
Troy
