Global Courant 2023-05-03 22:06:26
Virginia police have released a dramatic video showing an officer nearly being hit by a car belonging to “high school teens” who were going “more than 125 mph” while making a traffic stop.
The incident happened Monday along the Fairfax County Parkway after an officer pulled over a car going 73 mph in a 50-mph zone, according to Fairfax Deputy Chief of Police Bob Blakley.
Footage showed the officer sprinting for his life after seeing a BMW skid out of control and cross the median. The vehicle then crashed into whoever stopped the officer, sending debris flying through the air as he managed to escape serious injury.
“The car involved in that collision yesterday was a lot of car for an inexperienced driver,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told reporters Tuesday. “It went way too fast. It was a rocket and then it became a rocket.”
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The Fairfax County officer is seen dodging the speeding car as it crashed into the vehicle he stopped in Virginia on May 1. (Fairfax County Police Department)
Immediately after the collision, the officer is seen jumping over a guardrail and calling for help over the radio.
“My cruiser was hit. The driver was hit. I’m trying to check the injuries,” he told the emergency services.
Blakley said detectives determined the speeding BMW was “going well over 125 mph when it lost control” and “doubtless the driver was distracted”.
“That vehicle just wasn’t capable of handling that corner at that speed,” he said.
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The officer sprints down Fairfax County Parkway for safety after noticing the car losing control. (Fairfax County Police Department)
In a press release, the Fairfax County Police Department said the “adult driver in the BMW 750 Series was taken to the hospital at traffic control with minor injuries that were not considered life-threatening and has since been released from the hospital.
“The officer suffered minor injuries. The youthful driver of the BMW M3 and the two passengers suffered minor injuries,” it also said. “The youth was charged with reckless driving.”
Before showing the video to reporters on Tuesday, Davis said, “It’s just amazing that we don’t talk under different circumstances, really.”
He described the incident as a “horrific crash that in all likelihood should have led to much, much worse results than it did.”
The Fairfax County police officer suffered only “minor injuries” in the crash, officials say. (Fairfax County Police Department)
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“The Fairfax County Police Department is relieved that this crash did not result in a tragedy,” the department said. “This is an important reminder that life can change in an instant. It is the driver’s responsibility to drive safely and arrive safely.”
The Fairfax County Police Department also said the video is an opportunity for parents and guardians to “have a conversation with their teen drivers about how their driving can affect the lives of others.”
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.