A year after the accident, the death of an innocent driver during a police chase is still being investigated

FORT WORTH — A year after Andre Craig was killed in a car chase in Fort Worth, his grieving family is searching for answers, but they have yet to receive them from police.

Last July, Craig, 57, collided with a Fort Worth police officer at a South Fort Worth intersection. Witnesses at the scene reported that Craig’s light was green. At the time of the crash, the officer was pursuing a car that had been reported stolen. The police report stated that the chase reached speeds of 100 miles per hour on Evans Avenue, where the speed limit is 30.

Craig was the primary perpetrator of the accident and lost his life. Although more than 12 months have passed since the accident, it is still unclear if the officer will face any charges or disciplinary action, or if he followed the police department’s pursuit policies at the time.

Daryl Washington, the Craig family’s attorney, expressed frustration that the family was not allowed to view the officer’s dashboard camera video. “They (Fort Worth police) tried to keep everything confidential, keep everything under wraps, and that makes you wonder, ‘Why?'” Washington said.

Police officials told CBS News Texas that the department’s ability to release information to the Craig family is limited because the case is ongoing. In the coming weeks, a grand jury is expected to decide what charges, if any, to file against the officer involved in the fatal crash.

“I understand there are rules and procedures, but where is the compassion? Human compassion would go a long way in helping our family heal,” said Craig’s sister Nefertari Mundy.

Brian Hunter, the man police were pursuing, meanwhile, faces two serious crimes: driving a stolen vehicle and evading arrest resulting in death. The penalties for these charges range from 2 to 20 years in prison. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that no agreement has been reached at this time.

Last year, the city of Fort Worth filed suit against the Texas Attorney General’s office demanding secrecy over its pursuit policies. The litigation is still pending. Although the agency released portions of its policies to the public last spring, it insisted that releasing the entire policy could jeopardize officers’ safety and effectiveness. That lawsuit resulted from requests by the CBS News Texas I-Team and other local media members, who relied on public records law to obtain a copy of the full pursuit policies.

The Fort Worth Police Department’s most recent annual report shows that 20% of chases last year resulted in injuries to suspects, police officers or innocent bystanders. That rate is more than double the national average of 9%, according to a Justice Department report on police chases released last year.

A police spokesman acknowledged that the uniqueness of each chase makes it difficult to compare injury rates, but said the department aims to minimize risks but ultimately relies on suspects to follow the rules before a chase even begins.