Evading the police in a chase is possible but incredibly rare. One BMW driver tried one of the most popular tricks in the book and still managed to fail in spectacular fashion at 128 mph (206 km/h). Now, he’s lost his BMW and his freedom for what could be a long time.
Lots of people run from the police every day. Sometimes, they manage to escape but we’ve documented countless examples where they don’t. In Arkansas, the State Police are well-known for tactics employed to end pursuits that some call reckless. This video is one such example of just such tactic.
In it, we see Officer Spencer Morris pull over a black BMW 3-Series convertible on I-40 eastbound. According to the report cited in the video description, Morris says that he pulled the driver over for a headlight that was out. He also noted that the driver had Tennessee drive-out tags. As Morris approaches the passenger side of the BMW, the driver speeds off.
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That’s a pretty typical tactic when it comes to fleeing from police. We’ve even seen it prove successful but unlike in those cases, this BMW doesn’t seem to have a boat-load of horsepower to create a big gap. Instead, Morris catches up to it and manages to use a PIT maneuver to disable it just 60 seconds after the pursuit begins.
What’s especially noteworthy about that is that Morris employs the PIT maneuver at 128 mph (206 km/h). That’s roughly 100 mph (160 km/h) faster than many police departments allow for. In this case, Morris and the suspect were clear of traffic at the time of the contact. Nevertheless, such a maneuver can lead to serious injury or death in the case of both the suspect and the engaging officer.
The BMW driver is now facing a litany of charges including defective headlights, reckless driving, speeding more than 15 over, felony fleeing, failure to register a vehicle, no insurance, and driving on a suspended license. Police transported him to the Crittenden County Detention Center to await his court date. Felony fleeing alone is a class D charge in Arkansas with a maximum penalty of six years in jail and a $10,000 fine.