Personal Statement
Margie Geier and Candy Priano embrace. Margie’s brother Johnny Kallmeyer was killed when an Ohio police chase went out of control. He was just sitting, waiting for a stoplight to change when he was killed.
I did what people sometimes do after burying a loved one: work to fix the problem so others don’t have to endure such pain.
In 2002, I wept beside the cold casket holding my daughter Kristie, unprepared for all that awaited me. Everything I believed in was shattered the night our family of four set out to watch Kristie play the sport she loved. Instead, we never it to her game that night because of an. errant police chase. The police were pursuing a teenager who had taken her mother’s car without permission. We later learned through the media that the driver was not arrested. In fact, officers sent her home with her mother, while Kristie lay dying in the hospital and would die seven days later.
The sheer injustice of it all filled me with anger—my daughter’s dead while the driver went home.
Determined to understand vehicular police pursuits, I immersed myself in online news, government reports, FBI bulletins, and books by an expert on high-risk police tactics. I uncovered the devastating human cost of these pursuits, discovering countless stories of similar tragedies.
Appearing on national talk shows and working with a state senator to sponsor “Kristie’s Law” for safer police pursuits in California were significant milestones. Despite the law not passing due to opposition from law enforcement unions, my fight continues today. Messages from bereaved families pour in, each a poignant reminder of the urgent need for change. These stories challenge the belief that high-risk police pursuits are unavoidable, questioning if there are safer ways to apprehend nonviolent offenders.
In 2007, I founded PursuitSAFETY, the first national nonprofit dedicated to reducing unnecessary vehicular police pursuits and response calls. Our organization collaborates with law enforcement to prevent such tragedies. As the victim services director, I listen to grieving families, where my heart truly lies.
PursuitSAFETY’s grassroots teams operate nationwide, with our executive director, Esther Seoanes, in San Antonio, Texas, and board members, including career law enforcement leaders, an expert on deadly force, and a distinguished attorney. Together, they guide PursuitSAFETY on police pursuit policies and training, conduct research, and advise on government measures, striving to make our roads safer for everyone.
My son Steven Priano and his cousin Eric at PursuitSAFETY’s Family and Friends Connection in St. Louis, Missouri.
Glenn Morshower joined us at PursuitSAFETY’s Family and Friends. With him are Eric’s mom and dad, Sherry and Steve Sullivan.
Memories from the past
PursuitSAFETY’s Family & Friends Connection
Keeping our time together at PursuitSAFETY’s Family and Friends Connection in sight.
Maryville, IL Police Chief Rich Schardan asked everyone to introduce themself to someone they didn’t know. Everyone took this ask to the extreme and loved it.
Candy Priano presents Police Chief Rich Schardan with a surprise—an award in appreciation for his
compassion toward families of innocent victims of
vehicular pursuits and his efforts to find a safer way.
A favorite of mine is Glenn with Brenda Ehrensperger from Alabama. Brenda and Candy became best of friends from the first time Brenda called PursuitSAFETY. In the background is Jon Farris from Wisconsin.
A PowerPoint Presentation featuring the loved ones of everyone who attended. Here is Kristin Saragusa, daughter of Jim Saragusa and his wife Suzi.
Glenn teaches Susan “The Sprinkler” in the hotel lobby. Hotel guests and PursuitSAFETY’s families enjoyed
the show!