Officer Who Killed Bystander During A Chase Has Long History Of Traffic Accidents
Police pursuits can often result in injuries or fatalities. In the majority of these cases, it’s often a case of someone who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
NBC Miami reports that in pursuit of an allegedly stolen vehicle, a Miami Beach Police officer struck and killed another motorist who later died of her injuries.
The accident happened on March 25th when Officer Gregory McVey was in pursuit of the driver of an allegedly stolen vehicle. The officer ran a stop sign at the intersection of Byron Avenue and 76th Street, slamming into a 2007 Honda Accord with his police cruiser. The damage to Ivonne Reyes’ vehicle was so severe that emergency crews had to remove the roof of her car to get to her.
The 68-year-old woman was rushed to an area hospital for treatment, but she later died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the crash.
The suspect, Timothy Bowers, 35, was later apprehended by police in a BMW that had been reported stolen earlier. Bowers was arrested on the charges of grand theft, possession of cocaine, and resisting arrest.
Documents including internal police department memos indicate that since coming on board with the Miami Beach Police Department in 2005, McVey had seven accidents prior to the accident last month. The majority of the other crashes McVey was involved in were minor, and all occurred while he was on duty at the time.
Records also indicate that McVey transferred out of the department’s training program in February of last year after the Miami Beach Chief of Police lost confidence in him. No further information was provided regarding the nature of McVey’s transfer.