Fatal high-speed pursuits in Oklahoma

Two agencies headquartered in the capital city reacted to growing chase deaths in opposite ways that might spur to action some lawmakers who have studied or regularly discussed pursuit issues.

In a state ranked 8th highest for pursuit-related deaths, traffic infractions or property crimes prompted the vast majority of chases — reasons not worth deaths or even pursuits, experts say.

The World and Lee focused on the 2016-2022 time frame because the newspaper began tracking and investigating Oklahoma Highway Patrol vehicle pursuits in 2016. 

Throughout these stories, leading contemporary policing experts characterize the vast majority of these chases as unnecessary or not worth the risk.