AKRON, Ohio — More than three months after an Akron police cruiser crashed and rattled the Highland Square neighborhood, department leaders have revealed that an officer was going as fast as 92 miles per hour on West Market Street.
According to police, two officers were heading to a burglary call in the early morning hours of Oct. 20. The high-speed response ended abruptly when the officer behind the wheel swerved to avoid a car making a U-turn just east of Conger Avenue and slammed into a parked car.
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Police said the response lasted less than one minute before the crash. The impact set off a chain reaction involving three other parked cars.
According to Chief Brian Harding, the officer was going about 74 miles per hour just prior to the crash.
Steven Rockich's Mazda was totaled in the incident. He knew by the damage that the officer was speeding but was surprised to learn just how fast he was going. The speed limit on that section of Market Street is 25 miles per hour.
"You're going 90 miles-per-hour? Phew! I don't know about that," Rockich said.
In previous interviews with News 5, Rockich has expressed frustration that the city has not paid him for the money he lost.
His car was worth more than $5,000, and he paid $600 for a tow. His insurance did not cover the loss because he did not have personal collision coverage.
After the case was submitted to the insurance provider for Akron, Rockich was told that the city would not be paying him back, citing immunity that protects the officer who caused the crash while on the job.
"No pay towards me. It's like, do I even exist?" Rockich said.
The officer was found to have violated the emergency response procedure. He was given a one-day suspension and ordered to undergo more training.
"That's like the tiniest slap on the wrist. It feels like I'm being slapped in the face," Rockich said.
Harding decided to make a department change because of the high-speed crash.
An order dated Nov. 7— more than two weeks after the crash— focuses on "due regard" for the safety of all persons.
"I think sometimes we have to remind them of how important and how dangerous pursuits or high-speed driving can be," Harding said.
The order states, "Effective immediately, and until further notice, unless an officer has approval from their supervisor, vehicles operating at speeds in excess of 25 miles-per-hour of the posted speed limit shall be presumed to be without due regard."
In other words, driving too fast could open up officers to discipline.
"The officers ultimately— due regard is their decision— and something they're going to be able to understand and explain their actions for, and luckily for us though, that's all gonna be captured on body-worn camera or in-car video," Harding said.
New 5 asked Tim Dimoff, a national law enforcement procedures expert, about the order.
"A lot of departments are doing this on a national basis. It's good to have a clear policy that makes it consistent," Dimoff said.
He believes the order will make it easier to hold officers accountable if they violate procedure.
"You have more eyes and ears in mind on the procedure," Dimoff said.
Brian Lucey, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Akron Lodge #7, said the order by a police chief on emergency operations of police vehicles is a relatively common occurrence.
"We do not want policies that restrict our ability to protect the community or subject our members to punishment for responding too slowly. We believe this directive is reasonable and we will continue to work with the city to ensure we have policies prioritizing our members doing their job of fighting crime effectively, while protecting the community we serve," Lucey said.
As for Rockich, he called the order "considerate," but he's no less frustrated.
"It still does absolutely nothing for me and my situation."
