- Florida police used a textbook PIT maneuver to disable a fleeing Audi S4 during a recent chase.
- The car rolled several times before coming to a stop but police reported no serious injuries.
- Safety equipment and good timing likely saved lives in this instance.
Police in Florida were in the midst of investigating a stolen vehicle report when another crime happened right in front of them. A gray Audi S4 hit a white Volvo before driving away. A patrol vehicle gave chase and ultimately stopped the driver with a textbook PIT maneuver.
Chases and PIT maneuvers are seriously risky business, but they’re still a legal tactic that police have in their arsenal. Using the strategy skillfully requires excellent driving and great timing though. The fleeing vehicle needs to be away from bystanders and other motorists if at all possible. The 18-year-old driver of the Audi put himself in exactly that position.
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Over the course of a nearly 30-minute chase, it almost seems as if the Audi is on a yoyo. Officers get close to catching up and then the S4 is gone again. At one point, FHP actually loses a visual on the suspect but an overhead helicopter shows him continue to drive recklessly. He blitzes through residential neighborhoods, down roads the wrong way, and makes illegal turns.
A report allegedly from the incident says the driver exceeded 100 mph during the chase. One officer says that when the opportunity came to PIT the car on an empty road, he did so despite the high speeds. Evidently, the driver, Noel Almargo Petonguot, was the only occupant and the registered owner of the S4.
He was reportedly already wanted out of Wisconsin for disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, felony bail jumping, false imprisonment, and stalking. His license was suspended and now he’s facing several charges in Florida including hit and run and felony fleeing from law enforcement.
It’s worth noting that, allegedly during the chase, an officer hit an innocent motorist, and Petonguot collided with a second motorist. As of this writing, there’s no information on the condition of those individuals. Frankly, considering the state of the Audi after the crash, it’s amazing Petonguot made it out alive.