Two of the officers were in serious condition and the other two were in good condition at a local hospital from injuries sustained when their unmarked cruiser went over a guardrail and down a 50-foot embankment at the Spruill Avenue exit off Interstate 26.

A special Highway Patrol team that investigates high-profile wrecks is reconstructing the Dec. 23 accident that injured the four, all members of the police department's Safe Streets unit, a specialized squad that targets high-crime areas.

"There is nothing in our hands to confirm that in fact there was a pursuit, but that is not to say it did not occur," said Highway Patrol spokesman Lance Cpl. Paul Brouthers.

Although investigators are considering the wreck a one-car crash, they are looking for signs that the officers' patrol car "made contact with another vehicle or another vehicle caused them to lose control," Brouthers said. Investigators also are weighing other potential factors, such as weather, mechanical failure and driver error, he said.

"If it was in fact the officer's fault and the officer was going too fast to negotiate the exit ramp, then a charge would be appropriate," he said. "But we are early in the investigation and have not determined the cause."

According to a Medical University of South Carolina spokeswoman, the injured officers and their conditions are:

-- James H. Bozeman, 31, of North Charleston, the driver, serious condition in the intensive care unit.

-- Willis Lewis Walker, 28, of Mount Pleasant, who was riding in the back seat behind the driver, serious condition in intensive care.

-- Edward Scopelitis, 31, of Mount Pleasant, the front-seat passenger, good condition.

-- Chito Walker, 27, of Mount Pleasant, the other back-seat passenger, good condition.

Charleston Police Department spokesman Charles Francis said Bozeman, Chito Walker and Willis Walker have been with the department for about three years and Scopelitis joined the department about four years ago.

The officers' relatives had planned to meet Monday with reporters at MUSC to thank the Charleston community for expressions of concern, but the meeting was called off at the last minute.

Charleston Police Chief Reuben Greenberg declined further interviews Monday pending the outcome of the investigation, Francis said.

Highway Patrol's Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team is looking into the accident, officials have said. Brouthers said the team investigates wrecks involving high-profile figures and police officers and accidents that cause multiple fatalities.

With the use of computers and some old-fashioned police work, the team will take measurements and photographs to reconstruct the accident scene to create a diagram of the accident, he said.

Witnesses have said the cruiser appeared to be speeding after another car, but authorities said there was no indication the officers made radio contact with dispatchers about a pursuit. A Charleston police report of the accident says a blue Crown Victoria was seen leaving the area after the officers' car went off the interstate. Other reports indicated the second car was a Camaro or Grand Am.

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