Three Georgia State Patrol troopers and their supervisor have been let go after officers’ hot pursuits reportedly turned into cold cash from fleeing suspects’ auto insurance companies.
News sites around the state reported that an internal investigation found the officers, in the Savannah area, had teamed up with a lawyer to send demand letters to suspects’ insurance carriers, claiming the troopers were injured after pursuing vehicles or performing “PIT” maneuvers—precision immobilization techniques or bumper bumps—that send fleeing vehicles out of control.
The State Patrol office did not immediately respond to a request for information from Insurance Journal, but news outlets reported that the officers’ demand letters resulted in multiple checks from insurers. In most cases, the troopers had not reported injuries at the time and no workers’ compensation injury claims or notices were filed.
The insurer checks were for as much as $25,000 each, from which the attorney took a fee, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and local TV news stations reported. The demand letters did not mention that the claimants were state troopers, or that any injuries may have been covered by workers’ compensation insurance, the AJC and other sites reported.
The insurance companies involved were not named. It’s unclear if the officers will face criminal charges, civil litigation, or further insurance fraud investigations. The Georgia Office of Insurance Commissioner is monitoring the case, news sites reported.
The scheme, a violation of the Patrol’s code of conduct, apparently came to light after a State Patrol sergeant overheard two troopers talking about how a vehicle chase will “get you a check,” news sites noted. One officer involved told department investigators that the scheme was seen as a way for officers to supplement their paychecks, the AJC reported. The attorney involved has not been named.
The checks-for-pursuits scheme raises new questions about what the newspaper called the Patrol’s “aggressive pursuit culture.” An investigation by the news site recently found that the department had an unusually high number of high-speed pursuits that had resulted in injuries and deaths to passengers and others.
Photo: A Georgia State Patrol vehicle in Waynesboro (AdobeStock)
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