DURANT, OK -- In the past weeks two separate high speed pursuits have resulted in two major accidents that have claimed the life of one suspect and injured three law enforcement officers. Now some people are asking if high speed pursuits are worth the risk. Josh Stevenson has this live report.

"It is not what television shows portray out there. This is real life this is dangerous and it can be deadly,' Trooper Steve Nabors of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says.

Last week a high speed chase through Coal County ended when a man running from OHP Troopers crashed head on into a semi on Highway 3.

Then on Saturday two Durant police officers were injured while chasing a man in Bryan County. One officer hit a tree, the other inadvertently crashed into the suspect's vehicle.

Candy Priano, founded Voices Insisting on Pursuit safety, or VIP, after a loved one was killed by a fleeing driver.

"Everyday someone is killed during a pursuit, and a third of those killed are innocent bystanders," Priano says.

VIP monitors incidents involving pursuits, and works with law enforcement across officers the country to try and reduce the number unnecessary police chases.

Priano says many times the best course of action is for police not to give chase.

"When it comes to police chases we blame the fleeing driver, but the fleeing driver does not care about public safety so it falls on police to keep the public and themselves safe."

OHP Trooper Steve Nabors says the decision to chase a fleeing suspect is left to the people on the scene.

"Our policy is it is left to the individual member, because he is right there on the spot, because they are seeing whatever is there at the scene," Nabors says.

Law enforcement officers say that they would always prefer that people stop when they see flashing red and blue lights.

"The fact of life is they do occur, that is this business, some people are just going to flee, and I think not chasing them is a big mistake."

For police the decision to pursue is a Catch 22, chase and there could be an accident; don't chase and a dangerous criminal or drunk driver could harm someone else.