- A Florida Man attempted to evade police in a very fast and very powerful Jeep.
- Sadly for him, it was a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk so when he went off-road his chances of success went downhill.
- Officers arrested the 30-year-old almost immediately after it went into the grass.
Running from the police is always a bad idea but in rare circumstances, people manage to get away. Oftentimes, these drivers pilot very powerful cars like the one in this story— a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk boasting a 707-hp supercharged Hellcat V8 under the hood.
Yet, what distinguishes successful evaders isn’t just horsepower but skill behind the wheel and the foresight to avoid entrapment. Unfortunately, the driver in this incident lacked such foresight.
More: Woman Charged For Riding Electric Suitcase On Sidewalk Without A License
According to local reports, police tried to pull over the Jeep in question around Southwest 8th Street near the southbound Turnpike ramp. It’s unclear what the initial traffic stop was over, but the driver decided to run all the same. Authorities say he reached speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h) in the ensuing pursuit.
It’s unclear how long the chase lasted, but a bystander captured the crucial moment—the end—that momentarily made us question if we were watching a clip from Gran Turismo 6. In the footage, the silver-painted Jeep executes a sharp turn with tire smoke swirling from the wheel wells.
It seems the driver briefly outmaneuvered the pursuing officers, but inexplicably, they abruptly change direction. Whether due to loss of control or another reason, the outcome was an FHP officer right on their tail.
After the about-face, the driver decides to go off of the road and into the grass. If this was a “Trail Rated” Jeep and not a Trackhawk it might have done fine. Instead, this big SUV, fitted with 295/45/R20 tires from the factory, seems to slip and slide even more than it was on the street.
Soon after, the driver appears to have no traction at all. Officers move in and make the arrest. According to NBC Miami, police identified him as Jose Alberto Rodriguez. It’s unclear exactly what charges he’s facing at this point.
There seems to be a correlation to Stellantis-branded vehicles running from and into Florida police recently. We’re just glad everyone made it out of this situation safe and sound.