On Friday, August 28, 2020, Worcestershire Police were sent on a high-speed chase after a reckless driver, who reached speeds of up to 120 mph at some points.
The incredible police chase spanned three motorways, stretching all the way from the M42 to the M6 toll. However, the suspect was eventually stopped by police, who took extreme maneuvers to box the vehicle in. A swarm of police cars maneuvered around the suspect, leaving him no place to go.
120mph fail to stop over 3 motorway networks captured by @NPASMidlands Friday night.Amazing driving by D Shift with use of #TPAC quartering and boxing tactics to ensure the pursuit ended safely.Started on the M42, ended on the M6toll.Driver dealt with for driving offences. @CMPG pic.twitter.com/c7tejD1YQS
— OPU Worcestershire (@OPUWorcs) August 31, 2020
During the chase, video taken from a helicopter above shows the vehicle speeding along the carriageway, weaving in and out of traffic and nearly striking a tanker. All the while, police were trailing closely behind and waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.
The comments on the post were mixed between people commending the police for their actions, and others questioning the safety of high-speed chases. This sentiment is growing more common. Last year, the Guardian published an article asking the question “Are police chases out of control?”
The article noted that at least 93 people died in chases in England and Wales between 2013 and 2018. This was determined using figures compiled by the police-complaints office and by the charity Inquest. In many cases, the people that were killed were innocent bystanders, pedestrians, as well as drivers, and police. In two of those cases, children were killed. Current technology makes it pretty much impossible for these suspects to get away, even if a police officer is not directly behind them, which leaves many experts to suggest that it may be time to come up with a new strategy.
Luckily, during this chase, nobody seems to be hurt or inured, and the police were able to resolve the issue with little incident.
The short two-minute video clip of the chase quickly went viral and has since been viewed thousands of times.
