Arkansas State Police have proven time and time again that they’re willing to go to extremes to catch a fleeing suspect. In one recent case involving a Chevrolet Blazer that meant not only using a pit maneuver at 88 mph (142 km/h), but leveraging a trailer hitch as the point of contact. Despite the violent accident, the suspect survived the encounter.
ASP often gets involved in a chase when a local Sheriff’s Office requests them. That’s what happened in this case as officers from Independence County wanted help bringing this chase to an end. Authorities say that they initially attempted to pull the driver over for driving left of the center of Highway 122.
The 2000 Chevy Blazer decided to run and local police tried to end the chase with spike strips to no avail. Officer Dustin Carpenter, the one who ultimately used the PIT maneuver, said he only joined the chase for the last mile or so after it had been ongoing for about 15 miles previously.
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According to the police report posted by Police Pursuits, Carpenter immediately began to set up for the PIT maneuver as soon as he became the lead unit in the chase. “The fleeing vehicle would not let me get into position to use the rear quarter for the TVI,” he said. That’s when he decided to use the exposed receiver hitch instead.
The Chevrolet spins off of the road, into the oncoming lane, through that, and into a culvert. During the slide, the SUV hit a mailbox and a vinyl fence but narrowly missed a telephone pole. The remaining wreckage makes the fact that a person survived the crash seem miraculous.
According to authorities, the driver had a misdemeanor warrant and was transported to White River Medical Center. He’s facing charges of fleeing in a vehicle, criminal mischief, aggravated assault, reckless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving on a suspended license, driving left of center, speeding, careless driving, and no seat belt.
Image Credit: Police Pursuits