The GTI driver could not outrun a radio.
Hollywood has made police chases seem dramatic and exciting in movies. This video shows us that sometimes it takes a video like these to bring us back to reality. Despite speeds of close to 150 mph, the chase is actually quite boring. The truth is that the law often wins, contrary to the chases seen on the big screen.
This video is from Verkeerspolitie Den Haag on YouTube. It is the traffic police for The Hague. The chase took place on the A4 motorway in the Netherlands, near the city. The footage was taken from the dash cam a pursuing police vehicle. Police spotted the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI driving unusually. Traffic was stopped, but the GTI began to slow down at an exit ramp. The driver then jumped onto the highway. This was mistake number 1.
The second mistake occurred simultaneously, and the exit road ran parallel to the highway. It eventually connected back. The VeeDub was able to escape the pursuit officers’ sights. The chase took place in the early morning hours, so there was very little traffic on the roads. Both drivers made the most of this fact. Although the GTI puts distance between the police car and it, the GTI never leaves sight. At the 1:20 mark in the video, we can see that the camera readout shows a speed of 240 km/h. This is 149.13 mph and qualifies for high-speed pursuit.
The third mistake was made by the thieves thinking they could outrun radios. The chase moves from the highway to side roads. The GTI fleeing driver does disappear into darkness until the police car turns a corner, at which point flashing reds or blues can be seen in the distance. The driver was stopped after coordinating with other officers.
The GTI driver was ultimately arrested for not having a driver’s license and major speeding offences. It was also reported that the driver of GTI had large amounts of cash in his car, making it possible that other shenanigans were going on. The bad guys did not outsmart law enforcement in a late-night chase for freedom.