A stolen SUV flipped over violently after Georgia State Police executed a PIT block in a northwest Atlanta residential area late last week.
A police car was also damaged in the crash, although it was the SUV’s driver, Maria Rodriguez, who needed to be taken to the hospital while in the custody of the authorities, as reported by WSB-TV Atlanta.
“George State Patrol arrived on scene, took lead of the pursuit and eventually performed a pit maneuver, bringing the chase to an end,” stated Sgt. John Chafee. The stolen SUV was initially spotted a couple of blocks away from the crash site, and the driver refused to stop.
“I’m sitting at school, on the couch, and it just goes by so fast around the corner,” said a witness. “And all I hear is police sirens behind her. It looks terrible. I am surprised she made it out alive.”
Rodriguez now faces multiple charges, including car theft and reckless driving. Also, Channel 2’s Lauren Pozen reported that the perpetrator was previously charged with possession of drugs and theft back in June.
While the maneuver, which intends to cause a fleeing car go sideways and lose control, clearly worked, we can’t help but feel as though the police could have acted in a safer way, especially since they were in a residential area.