Police: Officer Put Herself in Danger to Stop Fleeing Motorist

On February 13, 2018 at approximately 3:15 p.m., Officer Amanda Bray was on patrol in the area of NKU at the time other local jurisdictions were involved in a pursuit, involving a juvenile and a stolen vehicle.

Police say a teen stole a car from an apartment complex earlier in the day and when police tried to pull him over, he led them on a chase on the highway and into Highland Heights. Multiple units were in pursuit as the teen reached speeds up to 80 miles per hour before finally crashing into the police cruiser.

Orangetheory Fitness, Newport Pavilion. 

According to a release, Officer Bray was not engaged in the actual pursuit, but in an effort to prevent other motorist from coming into the path of the pursuit; activated her emergency lights and stopped in the lane of traffic prior to the roundabout on Louie B. Nunn Drive.

"The suspect driver, traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control of his vehicle in the roundabout resulting in it jumping the curb of the median dividing the lanes and striking the front quarter panel of the Campbell County Police Department police vehicle.  Officer Bray was removed from her vehicle and transported by ambulance to the St. Elizabeth Emergency Room where she was treated and released."

The release stated that Bray's injuries were not life threatening and has since been assigned to light duty pending medical determination that she may return to full duty.

David Eschenbach saw the chase ending unfold right in front of him. He said that he’s lived in Highland Heights for forty-two years and had never seen anything like it.


"I was at BP in Highland Heights and saw the car blow through the intersection going south on 27," he said.

Eschenbach said went wanted to avoid the chase so he went through NKU to avoid it.

"(Bray's) cruiser was in front of me and as the car came down towards the roundabout they hit her cruiser directly in front of me. Police removed him and placed him on the ground. Others were checking on the officer that was hit. I was in shock that this happened in my town."

Eschenbach said he was in disbelief that it was happening right in front of him.

"Let’s put it this way," he said. "If she wasn’t there in front of me, the car would have rolled and hit me."