Research team members (top row, from left) Andrew Hendrix, MD, and Tamriage Martin, MD; (bottom row, from left) Joshua Gazzetta, DO, and Jade Nunez, MD, MSc
A team of researchers from the University of Virginia Department of Surgery has published a national study examining police pursuit–related fatalities in the United States, highlighting an important and often underrecognized source of injury-related death. The study, titled “Police Pursuit Fatalities in the US, 2009–2023,” was recently published in JAMA Network Open.
Police pursuits—high-speed chases initiated by law enforcement—are a complex and controversial aspect of public safety. While often undertaken in response to suspected criminal activity, they also carry significant risks to officers, suspects, passengers, and uninvolved bystanders. Despite longstanding concern, national data describing the scope and characteristics of fatal pursuit-related crashes have been limited.
To address this gap, the UVA research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of police pursuit–related fatalities over a 15-year period from 2009 to 2023. Using a large, nationally representative dataset of fatal motor vehicle crashes, the investigators evaluated trends over time as well as demographic and environmental factors associated with these events.
The study identified 5,425 fatal pursuit-related crashes during the study period. Notably, the number of deaths increased by approximately 2% per year, even after adjusting for changes in population and overall crash frequency, suggesting a persistent and growing public health burden.
The analysis also revealed important patterns in when and where these crashes occur. Fatal pursuit crashes were more likely to occur at night, in urban areas, on noninterstate roads, and in southern states. These findings highlight the influence of environmental and regional factors on risk and may help inform targeted prevention strategies.
Importantly, fatalities were not limited to individuals directly involved in the pursuit. A substantial proportion of deaths involved bystanders and other road users, underscoring the broader public health implications of these events.
“Police pursuits represent a preventable source of injury sand death that extends beyond those directly involved,” the study team noted. “By better understanding the scope and characteristics of these events at a national level, we hope to contribute to evidence-based strategies that improve safety for both communities and law enforcement.”
The findings come at a time of increasing national attention to policing practices and public safety. Organizations such as the Police Executive Research Forum have recently issued recommendations to guide pursuit policies, emphasizing the need to balance enforcement objectives with public safety risks. The authors note that their results provide timely, data-driven insight to support these ongoing efforts.
The study was conducted by a collaborative team of UVA surgery residents and faculty with interests in trauma, injury prevention, and public health. Their work reflects a broader commitment within surgical research to address upstream causes of injury and improve outcomes at both the patient and population level.
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