POLICE CAR BRAKES OK IN FATAL CRASH

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 25, 1992                   TAG: 9201250347
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
POLICE CAR BRAKES OK IN FATAL CRASH
An investigation of a fatal automobile accident that killed Roanoke Police Officer Fred Robinson has found no mechanical problems with the patrol car he was driving.
Although there have been some complaints elsewhere about the safety of anti-lock brakes in the 1991 cruisers like the one Robinson was driving, a state police crash team found no signs that the brakes were at fault.
Robinson was killed Jan. 5 while responding to a burglar alarm at Valley View Mall.
The investigation determined that he was driving faster than 50 mph on Williamson Road when he struck a turning car and veered into a building.
Despite the fact that the call was not considered an emergency, Robinson was driving well in excess of the speed limit, without his blue lights on.
He also was not wearing a seat belt.
However, Roanoke police noted in a report released Friday that "if the speed and failure to wear the belt caused the death of Officer Robinson, a dedicated police officer has paid a supreme penalty for this."
"Even in death, Fred Robinson has given those officers who remain a valuable lesson."
The report also noted that less than a half-hour before the accident, Robinson had been involved in breaking up a fight on Williamson Road that involved about 40 people, some of them armed with baseball bats.
Police said the excitement of that event - combined with the distance to Robinson's next call at Valley View - may have contributed to his speeding.
"Police officers are neither trained nor encouraged to exceed the speed limit in response to calls which are not considered of an emergency nature," the report stated.
"However, the intrinsic instinct to rush to the aid of a citizen or even business in distress is extremely difficult to train against. We will continue to work at this."
The report also noted that police officers are not required to wear seat belts in certain circumstances.
It made no recommendation on the possibility of filing charges against the driver of the car that Robinson struck as it turned off of Williamson Road.
That decision will be made by Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell, who is expected to receive the report next week.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB