Dallas PD responds to crash 4-hours late, despite 12-minute goal

Dallas PD responds to crash 4-hours late after pursuit

A Dallas family waited over four hours for police to arrive at the scene of a car crash caused by a high-speed chase.

DALLAS - It took more than four hours for police to arrive at the scene. By then, victims and witnesses had given up.

What we know:

Lisa Watson was driving her daughter when their SUV was rear-ended by a van in East Dallas on Tuesday evening. That van was then rear-ended by a Chrysler 300 that was speeding away from Plano police across multiple cities. 

"And we’re waiting at the light to turn right into the neighborhood and bam."

Plano officers took two theft suspects, both injured, into custody, then Plano police assisted Watson and other victims.

"Yeah, told us to stand in a certain spot to wait for the Dallas Police, which made us all snicker because we knew they weren’t coming immediately, if at all."

Dallas police were put in charge of investigating the crash since it happened in Dallas.

The crash happened at 7:12 p.m. but Dallas police officers did not show up until 11:15 p.m., more than four hours later.

"We gathered where they told us to, we exchanged information, and we waited, and we waited, and we waited, and I finally told the Plano policeman, ‘They are not coming’. And they said, ‘But we requested them, we think they’ll come for us,’ and I said, ‘O.K.’ and we waited," said Watson.

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Police say the suspects were throwing unknown objects from the vehicle during the chase. It was eventually called off due to weather, but officers stumbled upon the crashed vehicle.

Local perspective:

Watson waited on the corner of R. L. Thornton Service Road and Jim Miller Road for a couple of hours until Plano police, who were still collecting evidence related to the chase, told her she could leave. 

"I said maybe we need to move to Plano because, obviously, they have things together. They were there working the scene, being very effective and efficient," said Watson.

Watson filed a report online but says Dallas police missed an opportunity to interview witnesses.

"There were lots of witnesses and, of course, over time they gave up and left too," she said. 

What they're saying:

Dallas Police Department tells FOX 4 that the crash was a level 2 priority call. The goal response time is 12 minutes. 

The department also tells FOX 4 that it’s reviewing why it took more than four hours for officers to show up. 

Public data reveals response times are improving slightly compared to last year, but they are still running significantly over every on priority level. And the average for a level 2 priority call, with a 12-minute goal, is 80 minutes, according to the department’s own data available online and updated on Wednesday.

Dig deeper:

"I know they’re shorthanded," said Watson.

"But there’s something broken in Dallas, and I think that we’ve got to figure out a way that we can get those response times dwindled way down."

Watson’s SUB needs repairs, but thankfully she and her daughter are OK. Still, Watson feels uneasy about the police efficiency and staffing in the city where she’s born and raised.

"I love my city. I want to stay here, but I want this fixed," she said.

What's next:

Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the scene within minutes. We do not have medical updates on the two suspects, but plano police say the female is believed to be a juvenile connected to other crimes.