- Florida Highway Patrol busted a street takeover and chased down a participant in a Challenger.
- To apprehend the suspect, they used three police cars to ram the Dodge driver into submission.
- The operation led to 10 arrests and the impounding of four vehicles during the crackdown.
Street takeovers, the chaotic blend of recklessness and public disturbance, continue to be a problem in Florida. Last Year, the Florida Highway Patrol ramped up efforts to crack down on these events. In one particular case, they responded to a call for service and found a large group taking part in a takeover.
Amid the chaos, one Dodge Challenger driver decided to make a break for it. Now, months later, video footage of the GTA-style chase has surfaced, and it’s every bit as wild as you’d imagine.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the whole thing actually went down in late August 2024. Police responded to calls about a street takeover in Tampa. When they arrived, participants and spectators fled the scene. One of them was driving a red Dodge Challenger and dashcam video caught everything.
Read: New California Laws In 2025 Target Speeding, Street Takeovers, And More
Initially, the only evidence of the event is people running away. As the officers make their way down the road, they actually pass the Challenger in question. As they approach and survey an intersection, the Dodge driver pulls up behind them and then drives off to the right. Officers notice when the driver hits the gas pedal and accelerates into the oncoming lane. Like a cat after a mouse, the police take up the chase.
A Neighborhood Showdown with Police Pit Maneuvers
The pursuit leads to a residential neighborhood where a group of drivers in muscle cars are all seemingly trying to avoid police. The Challenger driver does not let the traffic hold him up though. He drives into oncoming traffic again, narrowly avoiding an accident, and then up into residential yards. While that gives him some distance on the police, it’s not enough.
He catches back up to the traffic in the neighborhood quickly and officers begin to shut the chase down. First, one bumps him from behind, sending him into a white Chevrolet Camaro. Then, as the Dodge driver moves up into a residential yard again, a second police unit comes up beside the first and t-bones the Challenger.
But even this isn’t enough to stop him, despite the fact that he and the second officer come perilously close to slamming into a house. At that point, a third officer comes in from the opposite direction and collides with the Challenger on the driver’s side. That impact transfers through the Challenger and into officer number two who now does hit the house.
The Aftermath: Arrests, Impounds, and Over $6,000 in Assets Seized
All of this is enough for the Challenger driver who surrenders almost immediately despite wiggling his way out from between the cars. Perhaps he can take solace in the fact that police busted nine other folks on the same night during the event.
In total, they impounded four cars, recovered over $6,000 in assets, recovered three firearms, and charged four people with racing on the highway. Hopefully, this kind of example will be in the minds of anyone trying a similar stunt in 2025.
