Welcome
I’m Candy Priano, a writer and advocate whose work began with one unimaginable night. What started with my daughter Kristie’s death became a mission to uncover the hidden toll of high-speed police pursuits—the preventable crashes that kill and injure innocent bystanders every day. These aren’t people breaking the law; they’re parents driving to work, children heading to school, friends walking home.
Police chases kill the innocent.
In 2023, federal data revealed that pursuit-related deaths have surged to nearly two a day in the United States, with at least one-third of those killed innocent bystanders. Thousands more suffer life-altering injuries. (U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Police Executive Research Forum).
This crisis extends far beyond our borders, claiming children, spouses, parents, siblings, and friends worldwide—numbers that keep rising with no promise of meaningful action.
Fifteen Forever
A Memoir of Love, Death, and the Fight to Protect the Innocent
My activist memoir, Fifteen Forever, reveals the darkness of this unchecked police practice that unfolds on our roads and highways every day—and shows how grief can fuel advocacy so other families won’t have to endure this pain and heartache. At first, I believed Kristie was the only one. Then I watched in horror how these tragedies repeat themselves, and I turned my daughter’s preventable death into a movement to save the lives of innocent bystanders and police officers alike.
My Daughter, My Joy
Listen to me read from one of my early drafts of Fifteen Forever at the Butte County Library in Chico, California.
In Fifteen Forever, I return to the night my daughter died and the long aftermath it set in motion. As I placed an orange rose on Kristie’s casket, disbelief washed over me—how could this happen to my family? People told me to move on; I couldn’t. Families like mine know these deaths are not accidents. They are predictable and preventable. Though victories are few, I’ve witnessed extraordinary courage and generosity from people across the country working with me to prevent future tragedies. This is our story. Our call to action.
For Agents & Publishers
Fifteen Forever chronicles my fight to fix unchecked police pursuit laws that prioritize chasing nonviolent drivers over protecting innocent bystanders. The danger is real. The solution is not a ban. It’s reasonable reform—restrictive policies that allow pursuits only for suspects posing an imminent threat, paired with officer training that saves lives, both bystanders and officers.
Sparked by Kristie’s preventable death, it combines firsthand experience, the failure of justice for Kristie, and years of advocacy pressing for Kristie’s Law to require statewide restrictive pursuit policies—policies now recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Police Executive Research Forum in Vehicular Pursuits: A Guide for Law Enforcement Executives on Managing the Associated Risks.
Fifteen Forever also shares the stories of innocent bystanders who paid the ultimate price. Drawing on my background as a writer and two decades of collaboration with victims’ families and law enforcement, I’ve completed the seventh draft, 89,000 words, and am seeking representation.
Contact: candypriano@kristieslaw.org or call 530-519-9754.
If Police Chase Laws Protected the Innocent, My Daughter Would Be Alive Today
With powerful storytelling and hard-won insight, Fifteen Forever reveals the human cost behind the headlines and shows how ordinary people can spark change to save lives.
About Me
As Kristie’s mother and founder of PursuitSAFETY, a national nonprofit devoted to protecting innocent bystanders, I’ve spent two decades building relationships with bereaved families, law enforcement, and policymakers. What began as a preventable tragedy became a mission to help others and to learn from those who have helped me.
I’ll be posting updates on police pursuit news, laws, and behind-the-scenes notes about Fifteen Forever on the Blog. Stay tuned!