Watching gnarly police chases, especially ones with cheesy editing, voice-overs, and sound effects is an America pastime. Let's savor Jalopnik readers' picks for the ten best police chases of all.
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Photo Credit: AP
10.) 15-year-old outruns cops in an M3
Suggested By: HawaiianKong
Why it's a classic: This clip is a bit of a mystery. The video appears to show the M3 stopping, but it's just footage from earlier in the clip that's slowed down. We're not entirely sure if this teen in a BMW got away.
On top of the driving, this clip gives us ridiculously over the top commentary from the voice over and the interviewer. Supercharged M3? You sure about that?
9.) Daring escape by Scion xB
Suggested By: $kaycog
Why it's a classic: Oh Scion xB, you're such a cute little car. Your loop-de-loop attempts to outrun the big, mean police cruisers are adorable, but in vain.
You can watch the full news clip sans the yakkety sax here.
8.) OJ Simpson's chase
Suggested By: ChiefPontiaxe
Why it's a classic:Nothing can compare to the surrealism of this chase, as explained by reader Sir Halffast, Minister of Liftoff Oversteer.
Folks outside the US might not understand, but I'll try to sum up.
- -One of the best football players of a generation — Check
— Major TV personality — Check
— Accused in murder of his white wife and her lover — Check
— Car chase — Check
— At 25 mph? — Check
— Supposed threats of suicide while in back of Bronco — Check
Watching it on TV at age 10 (or whatever), it's seared into my brain. It was absolutely nuts, and absolutely riveting.
7.) Stolen bus chase
Suggested By: waveridin1959
Why it's a classic: It's one thing for a cop to push another car off the road, or block it off. Stopping a disgruntled driver in a stolen tour bus is just beyond their abilities.
6.) Lumber truck joy ride
Suggested By: Kiwi_Commander
Why it's a classic: We can hardly imagine how much fun it would be to get a massive trailer and go hoon around for a while. We'd rather do it on a quarry where we wouldn't hit something, but this guy really doesn't care. Nor does the public, who seem to support the guy in this lumber trailer, high-fiving him as he goes along. Sure he's a menace to society, but doesn't that look awesome?
5.) Reverse stretch limo chase
Suggested By: Highball!
Why it's a classic: The limo driver in this clip has an expired license, in spite showing off some seriously impressive driving skills, including evading the police while in reverse. His biggest mistake was attempting to flee on NY's twisty, narrow backroads, where he backs up into a tree.
4.) The Belgrade Phantom
Suggested By: Bzu
Why it's a classic: Back in 1979, a man named Vlada Vasiljevic stole a Porsche 911 and went hooning around Slavija square in the then-capitol of Yugoslavia. He alerted the cops to his presence, tons of people came out to watch and cheer as he'd evade every night. Eventually the cops blocked him off and he crashed, but he got away. It's a crazy story and definitely one of the enduring folk legends of the Cold War. You can read more about the Phantom here.
Photo Credit: BKTV News
3.) PIT-proof Mustang
Suggested By: Viperfan1
Why it's a classic: Police attempt to stop this vehicle several times with a PIT maneuver, where they spin the car out by nudging its bumper. Not a problem for this Mustang driver, who clearly has done some burnouts in his time. Lay on the gas, pull a 360, and you're away.
2.) Chasing an M60 tank through San Diego
Suggested By: jodark
Why it's a classic: Other than the Killdozer, you're never going to see anything more absurd than cops chasing a guy in a stolen tank through San Diego. He eventually gets stuck on a median and is shot to death.
1.) Taking down a plane with a car
Suggested By: 4b11t
Why it's a classic: You're a Brazilian federal police officer and you see that a plane filled with smugglers and $150,000 in stolen electronics is getting away. What do you do?
If you answered "smash the plane's wing with my SUV, leap out, and arrest the perps," you are officially a badass.