Cedar Rapids PIT sends chase vehicle into oncoming traffic

A police chase through four Iowa counties ended unexpectedly after an officer used a PIT maneuver to stop a suspect’s vehicle, sending it into oncoming traffic. “It’s sad the way that thing ended up. It’s not supposed to end up that way,” former Des Moines Police Chief William Moulder said. Friday, the PIT maneuver done by a Cedar Rapids police officer sent Garrett Sager's vehicle head-on into a car driven by a 16-year-old. Both drivers lost their lives. Moulder said a PIT maneuver is generally a quick way to stop a suspect. “It’s weighing risks, and they weighed the risks and decided getting him stopped was the thing to do,” he said. The chase Friday passed through Marshall, Tama, Benton and Linn counties. Moulder said the situation was especially dangerous because the suspect was driving east in the westbound lanes. “They had cars coming at them,” he said. “They really needed to have it end quickly.” “The car pretty much did what you expected it to do,” Moulder said.

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