Horrific videos have been released of a high-speed chase in Chicago that resulted in the death of an off-duty police officer and an innocent woman – prompting speculation into why he was running from his colleagues in the first place.
Footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows the moment that Officer Taylor Clark ran a red-light and t-boned Chequita Adams just after 1am on June 27.
The 32-year-old had gotten off of work just 10 minutes earlier, and was being chased by a group of on-duty officers who thought his car was one that had been involved in a carjacking.
When the officers started pursuing he was driving to his girlfriend’s home.
Newly released surveillance video shows the moment Officer Taylor Clark ran a red-light and t-boned Chequita Adams on June 27 just after 1am
The gang of officers, who were driving in an unmarked vehicle, first attempted to pull Clark over at an intersection, but instead of pulling to the side of the road Clark sped off.
Video shows the moment Clark drove through a red-light at an incredibly high speed before smashing into Adams’ car.
The impact crushed Adams’ car and pushed it into a light pole, while Clark’s Jeep can be seen rolling onto its side.
Adams’ mother said online that his car was going 80mph, though it is unclear where she got that information.
Clark was produced dead at a nearby hospital at 2.55am, and Adams was pronounced dead at 1.27am. Autopsy reports said that their deaths were a result of multiple injuries suffered in the crash.
Both Clark and Adams were pronounced dead within a few hours of the collision and autopsy reports say they each suffered multiple injuries related to the crash.
Toxicology reports also show that Clark was not taking alcohol or illicit drugs at the time of the crash.
Surveillance footage shows the moment Clark sped through the intersection and crashed into Adams’ car
Both cars ended up wrapped around a post at the gas station before going up into flames with the drivers locked inside. Pictured at the bottom left the cars can be seen wrapped around the pole
It is unclear why Clark fled from the officers that evening. Daily Mail Online has reached out to the department for comment.
According to police Superintendent Eddie Johnson the on-duty police involved in the incident were following protocol. Though they were in an unmarked car they used a siren for at least part of the chase.
Clark’s cousin cousin Blaze Taylor told CBS Chicago he was confused by what led to the collision.
‘He wanted to help people,’ he said. ‘Taylor Clark wasn’t an officer who would run from the police – that’s not who he was.’