Read the full story on The Auto Wire
After a plate reader indicated a Dodge Charger was stolen, a motorcycle cop decided to chase it down. The suspect immediately pulled into an old gas station and started to get out as the officer approached. Little did that officer know just how wild things were about to get.
Watch a Hellcat outrun a police helicopter here.
The suspect uses the full power of the Hemi muscle car to speed off just as a second officer in an SUV arrives, narrowly missing a collision. Then, the chase is on and it’s not much of a contest as the stolen vehicle literally burns rubber and disappears down the road.
What the guy uses to ditch the cops is also his downfall: power. Clearly not understanding the Dodge all that well, and also likely driving on worn out or damaged tires, his haphazard gallop away from the police blows out one of the rear tires. The officer in the pursuing SUV spots the rubber shrapnel in the road first, deftly figuring how where in a neighborhood the disabled Charger has been ditched.
From there it’s a manhunt with the suspect on foot. A citizen stops to give a tip as the officers discuss why the tire likely blew out, attributing it to hitting a curb. That could be, but it’s also possible driving the stolen car hard, wearing down the tires, then launching it hard while running was enough for it to give up the ghost. If the tire was underinflated, that makes a blowout even more likely as the tire generates more heat.
Consider this a reminder to check the treadwear on your tires as well as the pressure regularly. While you might not be running from the cops, you can still suffer a blowout on the freeway.
Check out the dashcam footage for yourself.