Minnesota Drunk Driving Suspect Survives Multiple PIT Attempts
Who says you need a muscle car to speed away from the police? Say what you want about the Toyota Prius, but as a new video out of Minnesota shows, they can be tough little cars. Could the Prius become the car of choice for fleeing criminals who are trying to get 50 miles per gallon while they run from thirsty police Chargers and Explorers?
A Champlin, Minnesota police officer pulled over a Prius for speeding on US 169. Police say that the driver appeared to be intoxicated and his driver's license was "canceled." The officer ran a few field sobriety tests while the suspect was inside the car due to the rain and then asked the driver to exit the car. At that point, the driver sped away.
Officers felt the driver was too intoxicated to drive so they pursued the suspect and attempted several PIT maneuvers to stop the Prius. As the video below shows, the Prius survived at least three PIT maneuvers including one that put the car into the muddy median. The Prius was able to get out of the mud and continue down the highway. A Dodge Charger police car appears to be incapacitated after the median PIT attempt.
Later in the pursuit, the Prius spins out on its own. Police say one of the rear wheels became unstable and caused the car to spin out and crash into a barrier. The suspect fled away on foot but was quickly captured with the help of a K-9 unit.
Police say the 37-year-old suspect has at least five prior DWI or alcohol and drug-related driving offenses.