THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502130060
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 369 lines
Responding to a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, the Virginia State Police this week granted access to the tape recorded Jan. 21 during a police pursuit that ended with a traffic accident and the deaths of two people.
The newspapers transcribed the tape. As yet, no official police transcript is available. Requests for access to tapes recorded by Norfolk and Virginia Beach police were denied.
This is a reconstruction of the chase taken from the state police tape, and police accounts.
It's 11:15 p.m. when a Virginia Beach officer running radar on one of the city's deadliest roads clocks a speeding van.
High speeds have led to several fatalities where he is patrolling - International Parkway.
The officer switches on his blue lights and pulls behind the van, but the driver refuses to stop.
The van turns right on Lynnhaven Parkway, heading to the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway.
A few moments later, a dispatcher in Virginia Beach telephones the state police communications center. Highways are traditionally state police turf.
The van's driver refuses to stop, the city dispatchertells state police. The state police dispatcher alerts troopers.
The Virginia Beach and state police dispatchers relay information over a special radio frequency - called TECAP - that allows at least 14 area law-enforcement jurisdictions to communicate on a common channel.
``They just went through the toll plaza,'' the Virginia Beach dispatcher says.
``504,'' the state dispatcher says, addressing a trooper by his unit number. ``They just went through the toll plaza, and they're approaching Independence.''
``10-4,'' the trooper responds.
About five minutes into the chase, the van approaches Newtown Road, where the first of two troopers on Interstate 264 are waiting.
``All right, they're going straight on 264,'' a trooper says. ``Coming up on Military.''
The chase is moving at 80 mph.
A dispatcher phones a supervisor. He answers on the second ring.
``There's a pursuit going on,'' the dispatcher says. ``Virginia Beach was on the interstate trying to get a vehicle stopped and they started coming from Lynnhaven and now they're down there at Campostella and 264.''
With the flashing lights of two state police cruisers flickering in the side mirrors, the driver of the white van forges down I-264, deeper into Norfolk.
The state police call Norfolk police on TECAP.
``This is Norfolk,'' the Norfolk dispatcher replies. ``Can you advise us of that pursuit on 44? Have you all called it off, or are you still in pursuit of this vehicle and why?''
``Virginia Beach advised that they were trying to stop a vehicle coming from Lynnhaven,'' the state police dispatcher says. ``And our units are still with the vehicle.''
The van veers right onto the exit to Brambleton Avenue.
At 50 mph, the van speeds down Brambleton. Norfolk police join the chase.
The radio traffic becomes more frantic as troopers a block behind the van call out the cross streets.
Chapel Road.
Church Street.
Approaching St. Paul's Boulevard at 50 mph, charging through red traffic lights.
The troopers' voices become more tense, more urgent as the chase moves through downtown Norfolk.
Suddenly, at least two voices scream over the police radio. It's not clear what is said.
Then silence.
``The last contact I copied was on Brambleton, coming up on St. Paul's,'' the state dispatcher says to the supervisor on the phone. ``It's awful quiet; I don't know what's going on.''
A breathless trooper breaks the void.
``10-50,'' he says into his radio, using the code for an accident. ``We've got the subject in custody at Brambleton and Duke. Get 10-52 (medical help) rolling ASAP.''
``Uh, oh,'' the state dispatcher says to the supervisor on the phone. ``Hold on a minute.''
Fire and rescue units roar out of their stations and head to the intersection of Brambleton Avenue and Duke Street. The van has slammed broadside into a BMW.
``We've got probably a double fatality,'' a trooper radios to the dispatch center.
Dead are William L. Rosbe, a 50-year-old attorney, and 40-year-old Terrie G. Timms.
Arnold O. Peterson, a Virginia Beach man with a long history of drinking and driving, is charged in the deaths. He was slightly injured.
Peterson remains in the Norfolk City Jail. MEMO: A TYPICAL PURSUIT
Here is a profile of a typical pursuit developed by the California
Highway Patrol in a study of 683 pursuits in that state:
It's initiated after an officer sees the driver of a vehicle violate
a vehicle code.
It occurs toward the end of the week, between 3 p.m. and 3 a.m.
It lasts one mile, and one to two minutes.
Two ground units are involved, with no air support.
It happens in an urban area.
It ends because the pursued driver voluntarily stops or crashes and
surrenders; or because the pursued vehicle outruns the police.
The driver of the pursued vehicle is arrested and booked.
No firearms or forcible stops are used during the pursuit.
The pursued driver is a man, 20 years old.
The pursued driver, in trying to evade arrest, drove at high speeds.
TRANSCRIPT OF THE JAN. 21 CHASE
Virginia Beach dispatcher (on the phone with the Virginia State
Police): ``. . . Westbound 44 (unintelligible).''
State dispatcher: ``Uh, huh.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``We're following a commercial van,
Virginia license zebra X-ray boy 4310.''
State dispatcher: ``OK. Where are they at now?''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher: ``They're what?''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher (calling a trooper): ``1686. What's your 10-20
(location)?''
Trooper: ``Downtown Tunnel.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher to state police dispatcher: ``They're
westbound.''
State dispatcher: ``They're westbound 44?''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``Uh, huh. They're westbound 44.''
(unintelligible chatter)
Unidentified dispatcher: ``They're westbound coming up on Rosemont.
(Unintelligible). Commercial van Virginia license zebra X-ray boy 4310.
ZXB-4310.''
Trooper: ``All right. Let me know as soon as the violator
(unintelligible).''
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
Unidentified female voice: ``What are they chasing him for? Just
(unintelligible).''
Second unidentified voice: ``Refusing to stop, we don't know.''
State dispatcher on phone with Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``Well
that's it.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``OK. Thanks.''
State dispatcher: ``I'll (unintelligible) up on TECAP.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``OK.''
State dispatcher: ``All right, bye-bye.''
Trooper to the state police dispatcher: ``Are you still with them,
Chesapeake?''
State dispatcher: ``Negative, they called me on the phone. They
advised that there was a commercial van, zebra X-ray boy 4310, and they
were westbound 44 from Lynnhaven at the time when I asked
(unintelligible).''
Trooper: ``How did they get off, at Rosemont?''
State dispatcher: ``Negative. They were a mile from Rosemont.''
Trooper: ``All right, get them back on the phone. I'll be standing by
at Newtown Road. Hold them on the phone until we communicate with them
or they terminate.''
State dispatcher: ``I'll contact on TECAP. Station 2 to Station 3,
Virginia Beach.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``This is Station 3, go ahead.''
State dispatcher: ``Where is your officer at now in reference to the
pursuit?''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4. They're approaching Independence.
They just went through the toll plaza.''
State dispatcher: ``504, they just went through the toll plaza and
they're approaching Independence.''
Trooper: ``10-4.''
(pause)
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``Station 3, Virginia Beach, to Station 2,
state police.''
State dispatcher: ``This is Station 2, go ahead.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4. They're just passing Independence
exit at this time.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4. 504, they're just passing Independence
now.''
Trooper: ``I'm standing by at Newtown.''
State dispatcher: ``Station 2 to Station 3, our unit is standing by
at Newtown.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4.''
(pause)
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``Station 3, Virginia Beach, to Station 2,
state police.''
State dispatcher: ``Go ahead.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4. The individual the officers
(unintelligible) west side of the bridge, they just passed Witchduck
Road.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4. The officer just states they just
passed Newtown on into Norfolk.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4. 504.''
Trooper: ``OK. They're in the left-hand lane, Steve, it looks like
they might be going 64.''
Second trooper: ``I'm on the Berkley, lane two, let me know which way
they go.''
Trooper: ``All right, they're going straight on 264. Coming up on
Military. Chesapeake, go ahead and advise a supervisor.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
Trooper: ``Notify that I'm at Campostella.''
(The dispatcher dials the phone to reach a supervisor, who answers on
the second ring.)
Supervisor: ``Hello?''
State dispatcher: ``Hey.''
Supervisor: ``Hey.''
State dispatcher: ``There's a pursuit going on. Virginia Beach was on
the interstate trying to get a vehicle stopped and, uh, they started
coming from Lynnhaven and now they're down there at Campostella and
264.''
Trooper, waiting at Campostella, joins pursuit, calls out the suspect
vehicle's license: ``Z, Zebra, X, X-ray, B, boy, four-three-ten.''
Supervisor on phone: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher to supervisor: ``Hold on a minute.''
Trooper: ``10-4, just coming off (unintelligible).''
Another trooper: ``You're what?''
Trooper: ``Just coming up to Broad Creek. We're about a mile from
Merrimac.''
Another trooper: ``I'm right here at Merrimac for you.''
Trooper: ``All right. It's a white van, looks like (unintelligible) a
heating and air conditioning service.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``It's a white van. Heating
and air conditioning service or something. They're chasing a white van,
it looks like a heating and air conditioning (unintelligible).''
Supervisor: ``All right.''
State dispatcher to supervisor: ``(Unintelligible) chasing
(unintelligible, cut off by trooper calling on radio).''
Trooper: ``We got it.''
State dispatcher to supervisor, answering a question not heard on the
tape: ``Uh, huh. Just for not stopping.''
Trooper: ``Merrimac (unintelligible).''
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
Second trooper: ``Go ahead, Steve, I'll take the radio. You can
handle the driver.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``So what do we call
(unintelligible, interrupted by second state dispatcher calling Norfolk
police).''
Second state dispatcher: ``(Unintelligible) channel Norfolk, Station
2, state police.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``Hold on.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``This is Norfolk. Can you advise us of that
pursuit on 44? Have you all called it off, or are you still in pursuit
of this vehicle and why?''
State dispatcher: ``Virginia Beach advised that they were trying to
stop a vehicle coming from Lynnhaven and our units are still with the
vehicle.''
Trooper: ``We're getting off at Campostella.''
State dispatcher to Norfolk: ``And they're getting off at
Campostella.''
Trooper: ``Brambleton, Brambleton.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher, calling Norfolk police: ``Station 1,
Norfolk, this is Station 3, Virginia Beach.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on the phone: ``They're getting off at
Campostella.''
Trooper: ``We're on Brambleton.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``Station 3, go ahead.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``Is this 1, Norfolk?''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``Go ahead, Virginia Beach.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4. Be advised the pursuit is now
getting off at Brambleton Avenue.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``10-4. We've got units right behind them.''
Virginia Beach dispatcher: ``10-4.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``We got Norfolk and
Virginia Beach involved. A laugh is recorded, but it is unclear what the
person is laughing at. A state police spokeswoman said it was unrelated
to the pursuit.
State dispatcher, repeating a phrase not heard on the tape. ``They
don't have any lights?''
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``Oh, geez, that's nice.''
(pause)
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher on phone: ``Virginia Beach called and said that
their officer was in pursuit of a vehicle 44 westbound from Lynnhaven
and that's what (unintelligible, interrupted by radio chatter).''
Trooper: ``(Unintelligible) is something else. We're coming up on,
uh, Chapel Road.''
State dispatcher on phone, responding to a statement that isn't heard
on the tape: ``Mmmm hmmm.''
Trooper: ``Church Street in the city of Norfolk on Brambleton.''
Another trooper: ``We're still on Brambleton, Chesapeake. Coming up
on St. Paul's.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``They're on Brambleton,
coming up on St. Paul's.''
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher on phone: ``Yeah.''
Trooper: ``(Unintelligible) Chesapeake (unintelligible) go back in
front again. He about cut me out twice.''
Another trooper: ``(Unintelligible).''
(Two excited voices scream over the radio. It's unclear what is
said.)
Trooper: ``We're on Brambleton. We've got Norfolk with them.''
(long pause).
State dispatcher (calling a trooper on the radio): ``1586.''
Trooper: ``Coming into Norfolk from Portsmouth.''
State dispatcher: ``Coming in from where?''
Trooper: ``Coming in (unintelligible).''
Another trooper: ``(Unintelligible) on Brambleton, Chesapeake
(unintelligible).''
State dispatcher on phone to supervisor: ``10-4. Last contact I
copied was on Brambleton coming up on St. Paul's.''
(long pause).
State dispatcher on phone: ``It's awful quiet, I don't know what's
going on. No, Norfolk is (drowned out by trooper calling on radio).''
Trooper: ``10-50 (code for accident). We've got the subject in
custody at Brambleton and Duke. Get 10-52 (medical help) rolling
ASAP.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``Uh, oh. Hold on a
minute.''
State dispatcher: ``Station 2 to Station 1, Norfolk.''
Norfolk dispatcher (apparently mistaking the state police dispatcher
for a Virginia Beach dispatcher): ``Virginia Beach, go ahead.''
State dispatcher: ``Station 2 to Station 1, Norfolk. We need
10-52.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``We got them en route.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4, they've been involved in an accident at
Brambleton and Duke.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``10-4, the vehicle has overturned. We have all
of our units responding, our fire (and) PRS.''
State dispatcher calling a trooper: ``1686. Are you 10-4 (OK)?''
Trooper: ``Yeah, I am. Uh, advise supervision.''
State dispatch: ``10-4. Rescue is en route and (cut out by Norfolk
police calling Virginia Beach police).''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``Station 1, Norfolk, to Station 3, Virginia
Beach.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``OK. They've had an
accident. 1686 says he's OK.'' (She continues to talk, but radio traffic
between Norfolk and Virginia Beach drowns her out.)
Virginia Beach dispatcher (responding to Norfolk): ``This is Virginia
Beach, go ahead.''
Norfolk dispatcher: ``OK. In reference to that vehicle that you all
were in pursuit of earlier, we have a trap (a person trapped in the
wreckage), possibly, um, possibly a fatality at Bush and Duke Street.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``I know Norfolk is down
there, and J.J. and (unintelligible name), they're at, he said
Brambleton and Duke, but I just heard Norfolk say Bush and Duke.''
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher to supervisor on the phone, responding to something
that isn't heard on the tape: ``I thought you had to.''
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
Unidentified female voice, sounding distressed: ``I don't know.''
State dispatcher calling a trooper: ``1686.''
Trooper: ``Um, Did you call supervision?''
State dispatcher: ``10-4. I have him on the line now.''
Trooper: ``I don't know if he is going to want to respond or not.
We've got probably a double fatality. Not sure. Um, Duke Street, advise
him of the situation.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4. You're at Duke and Brambleton or Duke and
Boush?''
Trooper: ``Brambleton and Duke.''
State dispatcher: ``10-4. And Virginia Beach initiated the
pursuit.''
Second trooper, calling the dispatcher: ``594, Chesapeake.''
State dispatcher: ``594.''
Trooper: ``Go ahead and notify supervision. Advise him of the
pursuit. We are down at Brambleton and Duke Street. I believe Norfolk is
going to handle the 10-50F'' (code for fatal traffic accident).
State dispatcher: ``10-4.''
State dispatcher to supervisor on phone: ``OK, (unintelligible name)
says it looks like a double F (double fatality). Yeah. And J.J. says
that he believes Norfolk is handling the fatality. (Unintelligible name)
said he didn't know if you wanted to respond or not, and I don't know,
since it's a double F.''
Supervisor: ``(Unintelligible).''
State dispatcher: ``OK. They're at Brambleton and Duke.''
Supervisor: ``All right.''
State dispatcher: ``OK. Bye-bye.''
ILLUSTRATION: STAFF MAP
KEYWORDS: TRANSCRIPT POLICE CHASE ACCIDENT TRAFFIC FATALITIES
DRUNKEN DRIVING POLICE PURSUIT by CNB