State Sen.

Mitch Seabaugh wants to require all Georgia police agencies to plan how

they will deal with pursuits, particularly those which cross over into

other jurisdictions.

A bill introduced

to adopt such written policies has received widespread support and should

pass the Senate, according to Seabaugh.

The Republican

state senator from Sharpsburg said he expects police agencies will soon

determine they need more funding for training on pursuits. It's too early

to get funding for that training put in the budget since there is no cost

estimate yet, he noted.

"It will

give us the opportunity to adequately provide the type of training they

need," Seabaugh said. "That's something we'll have to deal with

in the budget."

Alice Vicha,

whose son Chuck was killed at the Peachtree City city limits last July

when his van was struck by a motorist fleeing Luthersville police, said

she hoped police departments would become more consistent with their pursuit

policies.

"Who says

their policy is right?" Vicha said. "In some places it'll be

harder and in other places it'll be lax."

Another bill

from Seabaugh, which would have made the crime of fleeing and attempting

to elude a police officer a felony and increased the fine for such offenses

did not make it out of committee in time to be considered by the legislature

this year, Seabaugh said.

Seabaugh said

he had hoped a colleague of his would carry it through the judiciary committee,

but that didn't happen. As a result, any action on that bill must wait

until next year, Seabaugh added.

"It (fleeing

and attempting to elude a police officer) can be a felony under most circumstances

already," Seabaugh said, noting that the crime is considered a felony

if the offender has committed another felony crime in conjunction with

the fleeing charge.

Seabaugh hosted

a special hearing on police pursuits this summer weeks after Chuck Vicha

was killed during the police chase that went through Peachtree City at

speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Vicha was attempting to turn onto Ga.

Highway 54 West when his vehicle was struck by a sport utility vehicle

driven by Lorraine McCrary of Jonesboro. The crash killed Vicha and injured

McCrary and three children who were in her vehicle at the time of the

incident, police said.

Detectives

found numerous fake ID documents in McCrary's vehicle at the accident

scene. She was being pursued by Luthersville police who had been told

her vehicle ran over a stop sign in the town, according to police reports.

In an attempt

to protect innocent motorists, the Peachtree City Police Department blocked

off major intersections along Hwy. 54 as the pursuit sped by.

McCrary originally

pulled over the first time a Luthersville officer got behind her, but

as the officer went