Have you ever been involved/witnessed a high speed pursuit?

[Mikeyplum]

As per title really.

Was thinking and I haven't really been directly involved of witnessed first hand many high speed pursuits...

A few years back, whilst leaving work, I was waiting to turn right out the office car park. Looked right, nothing. Looked left, nothing. Look right again whilst edging out and a Volvo XC90 comes hurtling past and nearly takes my front end off. It was closely followed by a Vectra Elite on full chatter.

The junction to my office car park is about 50yars down from a T juntion with a set of traffic lights. How the tank of a Volvo managed to slow down in time to make the left hand bend was beyond me.

Any of you lot been involved/witnessed the same?

[GC8]

Lots, although since Thatcham immobilisers, Stingers and helicopters became part of the game far fewer people want to play.

[Graebob]

Bunch of warbled up 3/5 series on the M1 northbound a year or so ago, punting up at incredible speed. About 5 of them. 10 minutes later they were going the opposite way back down the other carriageway!

Couldn't figure out what they were chasing if anything though :S

[Jim the Sunderer]

Graebob said:

Bunch of warbled up 3/5 series on the M1 northbound a year or so ago, punting up at incredible speed. About 5 of them. 10 minutes later they were going the opposite way back down the other carriageway!

Couldn't figure out what they were chasing if anything though :S

Probably after a burger van.

[cv01jw]

Not directly, but when I was at uni I can remember some police TV show being on (on Bravo, shows how old I am!) and watching the chase go past our house, with my car parked on the drive.

[McHaggis]

Many years ago, front passenger seat of an ambulance with police escort through a town - wrong side of the road, red lights, etc.

Not a pursuit, but very, very exciting to a 7 year old.

Probably put me there to avoid me seeing my dad in the back with blood pouring out of his head and leg.

[reggie82]

A few years ago I was in the local Tesco car and heard a shed load of police cars come flying past at high speed with sirens going.

Wondered what was going on until on my way home the road was blocked with a saxo that had gone over a stinger, a sea of blue flashing lights and a yoof pinned down on the floor!

[Dakkon]

Very briefly, was coming up the A404 to the M40 roundabout at High Wycombe, lights go green and the next thing I see is a black BMW 3 series speeding through the red lights from the right and then three police cars after it.

[Mikeyplum]

Graebob said:

Bunch of warbled up 3/5 series on the M1 northbound a year or so ago, punting up at incredible speed. About 5 of them. 10 minutes later they were going the opposite way back down the other carriageway!

Couldn't figure out what they were chasing if anything though :S

Probably a training exercise?2

[Elroy Blue]

Been in lots. However, in today's climate of blaming Police drivers for every single piece of bad driving carried out by the criminal, they don't happen as often.

[AClownsPocket]

Southampton. Sat at a T-Junction and watched a Rover 100 shoot past me at a fair old lick. Closely followed by 3 Volvo police cars, an unmarked Omega and two police bikes.

Was impressed with the speed of that Rover

Edited by AClownsPocket on Monday 6th August 20:13

[BuzzLightyear]

Best one I've seen was when we were on holiday in America (natch). Staying in Long Beach on about the 10th floor of the hotel, we were woken up at about 1am by the sirens lights etc of about 15 Police cars down below and a Police helicopter practically going past our window.

Found out the following day that a civilian who had been a passenger in a Police car for one of their community programs has stolen said car which was looked upon to be rather bad form, apparently...

[Actus Reus]

Saw a knackered Mk.3 Escort being driven at pace through the Shortlands area of Bromley being pursued by 4 or 5 various police cars - even the diesel Astras were able to keep up though. No idea where or how it ended, but no way was he going to get away.

[Hammy13]

I remember a few years back a car came flying up a dead end street in which a school was at the end of being chased by the rozzers. Slammed straight through the gates of the school into the playground. Didn't actually witness it but my friend attended the secondary school at the time. Seriously lucky no one was hurt!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4938836...

[davepoth]

I was on the Greyhound somewhere in north Texas, around 1am. I was sat with some ex-convicts (lovely guys) and then all of a sudden a car flies past the bus, sparks flying from one of the front wheels where the tyre had been shot out. In hot pursuit were a dozen police interceptors. It was Awesome.

[Baryonyx]

Yes, although they are fewer and further between than they once were.

[mantis84]

Not a chase as such, as I pulled over as soon as I saw the blue lights and armada of police vehicles behind me, but many many years ago I got pulled by an armed response unit and felt what it was like to have loaded guns pointed at me by MP5-wielding rozzers. Whilst I imagine it was quite exciting to watch, it was very much a brown trouser moment for me! Thankfully it was all a complete misunderstanding and I was sent on my way without any further action after some brief enquiries.

As it's a bit o/t I'll not bother tapping out the whole story, unless anyone is interested in how and why a teenage lad shat himself (not literally, before you ask) in front of a lot of people.

[Steamer]

Yes.

Was confronted with a stolen car heading up the motorway the wrong way at great speed.

Sent a chill down my spine on one of the hottest days of the year.

[Eighteeteewhy]

I think so.

Ok so I hadn't had my M3 long and I was travelling along the M42/A42 on a Sunday and it was very quiet.
Next thing I know out of nowhere a black E90 flys past me at silly speeds. So I decide to see how well my new car goes. So I catch him up and the driver is acting very erratic, turning around and messing with something on the passenger seat/back seats. I decide I've had enough and start too back off, next thing he shoots from lane 3 and leaves the motorway just making the junction.

Anyway 30 seconds later about 5 cop pursuit cars fly past me, lights blaring at high speed.

The one that got away?

[Ari]

Yup, reported a clearly (very) drunk driver in front of me. Followed him until the Police could intercept. They followed him down a slip road onto a motorway, me still behind.

Drunk weaves his way down motorway at 65mph, police car behind, me still behind till the blues light up on the police car, at which point instead of pulling over, the drunk went for it! (BMW 330)

Both disappeared from sight at some speed (no way I was going to follow that) and I trundled on for a bit but no sign. Some while later I got bored of hoping to see what had happened, figuring they must have gone off a slip road somewhere, so decided to turn off at next junction and head home (which is where I'd been originally going).

A mile or so on and the traffic is jammed up and shuffling into lane three. And then I see the BMW, hemmed in by five Police cars, clearly the original copper had called for back up and they'd got him in some kind of pincer movement!

Had a call from the police later that night to thank me, apparently the driver had been absolutely steaming, barely able to stand!