If you like to keep up with current events as much as I do, you’ve probably noticed a surge in high-speed chases in Milwaukee involving the police. In fact, the impetus for this writing is an incident that captivated me to a certain extent.

I was with my daughters, September and Laila; I had taken them shopping for household items and whatnot. We were on 35th and North; I was taking them back to their mom’s. A white Range Rover whizzes by, closely followed by police. For whatever reason, it didn’t immediately dawn on me that this was a high-speed chase – I was that incredulous. Luckily, the girls and I were never in harm’s way, and I got them home safely. On the way back, I noticed what appeared to be the aftermath of the pursuit: the Range Rover was parked in the middle of the street, askew.

I glanced at the spectacle momentarily as I drove by. I guess the most polarizing facet of it for me is my knowledge of a high-speed chase that occurred in August. A 17-year-old Milwaukee youth refused to pull over after police spotted him driving a car that had reportedly been used in a recent shooting. The chase that ensued resulted in a car crash that engulfed the car and driver—the sole occupant—in flames and killed him.

This recent rash of high-speed chases reminded me of a guy from my youth. About 19 years old at the time, Dominique had led the police on a high-speed chase. Of course, he was apprehended and did time in jail. The next time I saw him, maybe a year or so later, I asked him why he fled and he said he was scared of going to jail. His mother had kicked him out because he was dealing drugs and he was in possession of the drugs when police attempted to stop him.

His fleeing the police ultimately led to bigger problems, as it did for that unfortunate teen. My son and my daughters will be driving soon and I caution them every time I shuttle them to and fro about safe driving. The thing is, nowadays not only do you have to drive safely, but more increasingly you have to be aware of unsafe and reckless drivers to avoid accidents and injury.

Please inform all of your loved ones, drivers or pedestrians, about the clear and present dangers we all now face when it comes to traffic and safety.