On Monday, January 30th 2023, The Times reported that U.S. law enforcement officers successfully thwarted a thief’s attempt to escape in a police vehicle by overturning the car before he could collide with an oncoming freight train.
Where Mikal Parker, 29, escaped from the police in a quick chase in the city of Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia, in the early hours of Saturday, January 28, 2023, inside a stolen patrol car, before the car collided and overturned.
Footage documented the thief’s car overturning
Atlanta police released aerial and body cam footage of officers as they rushed to rescue him by pulling him out of the car.
Police said Parker stole the car when the driver was making a stop. In the footage, the officer is heard shouting: “You… get back… get out of the car… someone broke into my patrol car.”
Parker wasn’t the target in the initial police stop, and officials said they’re not sure why he rammed the car.
Save the driver before he collides with the train
During the chase, which involved several police cars and a police helicopter, Parker lost control of the vehicle and it flipped over the railway track.
Corporal John Chaffee told Fox 5 Atlanta that police who were tracking him rushed to his rescue as the train was approaching.
“They immediately went into rescue mode, where [they had to] get this guy out of the car and get him off the train. We are very proud of the officers’ actions, this could have gone many different ways,” he explained.
He continued, expressing his concern for the man’s safety, “If he hadn’t been discovered in time it could have resulted in serious injuries. There was no indication that he’d be able to free himself from this situation.”
While Parker survived the accident with minor injuries, he was charged with stealing a police car, fleeing and evading police, reckless driving, obstructing police work, and damaging city property.
