6/28/2007 2:00:00 PM Victim of stabbing flees from police Pursuit ends with flip
Three vehicles were smashed up at the end of a police pursuit around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 3800 block of north Willow Road. The crash was caused by Robert Edward Runner, 34, of Kingman who was attempting to elude police in a Chevrolet truck, which flipped in the air and landed on a Chevrolet passenger car. Courtesy
KINGMAN - A high-speed police chase through Kingman Tuesday afternoon ended in a three-vehicle collision, sending one car airborne.
Mohave County Sheriff's Office Public Information Specialist Trish Carter said deputies responded to a call around 4:09 p.m. in the 2300 block of Ames Avenue that a male subject, later identified as Robert Edward Runner of Kingman, had stabbed himself in the chest during an argument with his wife.
Upon arrival, deputies noticed Runner, 34, leave the scene in a brown 2003 Chevrolet four-wheel-drive truck. Deputies followed him as he traveled at a high rate of speed through residential areas.
The Kingman Ranger helicopter was called in to assist and spike strips were set up ahead of the pursuit.
Around 4:15 p.m. in the 3800 block of north Willow Road, Runner veered into oncoming traffic and collided head-on into a gold-colored 1992 Nissan that had been stopped along the side of the roadway for the oncoming MCSO vehicles, Carter said.
Kingman Police Sgt. Rusty Cooper said it was not clear if Runner ran into the vehicle intentionally or due to the stab wound. He added that it wasn't the result of spike strips because there were none in the area. The Nissan, occupied by Yolanda Near, 63, and Rob Saucier, 59, both of Kingman, was pushed back 60 feet by the impact.
Both suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. According to KRMC spokeswoman Jamie Taylor, Near was treated and released, while Saucier is in stable condition.
The head-on collision caused the truck to flip in the air and land on a second vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet passenger car driven by Jane Wilson, 50, of Kingman.
Wilson, who was stopped behind the Nissan, was not seriously injured.
Runner was transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center for life-threatening injuries not related to the crash but rather to the stabbing, KPD said.
Taylor said he was then airlifted to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas. Sunrise spokeswoman Twinkle Chisholm, however, said he was not a patient there. Cheryl Peirsinger with University Medical Center in Las Vegas also said Runner was not a patient there.
As of Wednesday evening, Runner had not been charged by MCSO or KPD. Carter said MCSO is still investigating the possible unlawful flight incident.
Cooper said KPD is still investigating the crash, and they are handling it as an aggravated assault.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Article comment by:
Robert M. Marquez II
As a former resident of Kingman, I find it rather ill that the mentality in Kingman is the same with those who live there. Those "Yahoo Police" officers serve and protect you Mr Marino! I have NEVER known them not to do their job to 110 Percent when I lived there from 1980-1991! [Attack statement deleted]. Perhaps you need to do a "Ride Along" and see how much action that place gets. You would be surprised! What do you know about the more developed and forward thinking cities in America? Have you ever lived in those cities before or do you just watch a "COPS" on tv? You live in Kingman Arizona! Remember that! Its not Virginia Beach/Norfolk Virgina where there are multiple police stations with cops on horses, boats, planes, cars, SWAT, and helicopters. Kingman does not have the resources a metro area has. But, if its important to you You can do one of two things. Move or pay more taxes! Yet, there is one advantage you have over the police when making your remarks. You had time to sit and think, where they had only time to react and stop this incident. Because I am more then positive that if the police used your "Professional Advice" in law enforcement. That if it resulted in somebody getting hurt, you would be here writing more ignorance for everybody to be amused at. If you don't like Kingman or respect those in uniform who serve, then you should not be there or anywhere else in America!
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2007
Article comment by:
jason marino
After reading this, it is apparent to me that this city needs to adopt similar hi speed chase procedures as some of the more developed and forward thinking cities in america have adopted. Yahoo police officers that don't get much action can get over excited when they get involved in a chase, and dont make good decisions about how to approach the situation, because frankly, it's probably fun and exciting for them. If it is as this story states, that he was traveling at a high rate of speed through residential areas of town, they should have backed off immediately and let the helicopter find him, or they would have found him dead or at the hospital at some point. there was no need to chase him as he had not commited any felony before the police arrived, he hadn't robbed a bank, kidnapped a child or anything else. he had simply stabbed himself in the chest, and frankly, he's a moron for doing so. So why do we need to threaten the lives of others in our city to chase some moron who stabbed himself in the chest? if the police can justify that, then i'll eat my hat.
