Concerned Father stops police chase by using his truck as a ram

I really don't know how some people do it these days, videoing split second events so we can all see them later on the news. Heck when I try and take a picture or video of me and friends I end up with hours of useless footage. But I digress, on to the story...



A 14 year old kid stole his grandpa's car and took it on a couple hour joy ride. It ended with the police in pursuit of him, at a park with about 50 kids or so playing in. The car narrowly missed hitting a few kids when it came off the road and travelled through the grass, which is when a concerned father got into his truck drove around to cut off the joyrider and rammed him with his truck. All pretty much a hollywood ending to the ordeal.

fox13now.com...

a reply to: boncho
WOW!
Way to go dad!
I am all for this if he almost hit kids playing in a park! Hope he doesn't get sued on the back end of all of this tho

I think the guy in the truck did the right thing. He probably saved at least one life by doing what he did. Even if it was the life of the kid who was driving the car, cause most likely when he did stop he would have probably been shot to death because the officer was in fear for his life.

a reply to: Sremmos80

This is the US we're talking about. I'm sure the 14 year old has lawyers circling him like vultures. Unless the guy was trained in stopping a vehicle by crushing it with his monster truck, he's also guilty of wreckless driving at the least. He could have missed. The kid was a minor. The adult wasn't.

I'll let the locals handle it and worry about what to do themselves...

a reply to: boncho

I think that's the first time I've seen one of those ridiculous trucks be used for something useful. Normally they just bully other cars on the road and are a menace to big rigs. My experience anyway.

He was wrong to actually hit that car…period. However I agree with his idea and applaud it. He should have stopped before hitting him and if you watch the video he could have…there were officers right behind him and they would have blocked him in. Let them do the hitting because this guy isn't trained as was stated already. What if his truck tire rolled up the hood instead of crushing it? if you can see where that tire is and where it would have gone as he gassed it into the car…right over the driver side is where! I'd have felt much better had he blocked him and not rammed him. I would bet he gets sued and probably charged with reckless at the least and they'll stick because he violated those laws to the letter of the law.

I hope the guy was smart enough to say he was just driving down the road and tried to avoid the kid.

Looks to me more like the car braked late and hit the truck, which was almost stopped anyway.

Anyone missing the real story behind this thread? What type of parents / grandparents did this society produce that would produce a kid stealing cars and nearly running over others? America is truly a disgusting nation, yet the American will say, "I am proud to be American."

a reply to: the owlbear

Unless the guy was trained in stopping a vehicle by crushing it with his monster truck, he's also guilty of wreckless driving at the least. He could have missed.

Well the guy driving the truck is a cop, off duty at the time.

Not sure in a situation like this if a civilian or off duty cop would be charged with reckless driving. Weird circumstance. I'd rather take the hit to the license and SR-22 than have a kid get run over personally.

a reply to: RickyD

IMO he was stopped or had far less forward momentum then the car. The truck got sent up in the air a tad, doesn't that show that the car hit him harder then he hit the car?

a reply to: Domo1

I didn't catch that part and if it was well I take back my previous post. It is fine by me as long as you know what your doing…going out and "winging it" with something like that is just as dangerous as the act your trying to stop.

a reply to: Logarock

I agree, he will do better telling that he was avoiding the smaller car that trying to play hero, no matter how good his intentions were the law will be applied accordingly.

a reply to: Sremmos80

No it seemed to me they both braked at the same time bracing for impact…that truck could have cut off that street without getting that close to the car and the car had a pack of squad cars behind it so it wouldn't have made it far. Seeing the truck jump up lead me to believe it was still moving forward and had his foot hit the gas even on accident I do believe it was possible to roll up the front of the car…look how high the truck is and how large the tires are.

Watch ... the kids parents will sue the truck owner .... it's coming .....

a reply to: RickyD

Yeah I think it changes things a bit. Then again in the same situation I wouldn't fault anyone for ramming the car. Shoot I would have considered it, certainly would have gone for a block.

a reply to: RickyD

To me it looks like he slows so he can predict where the car is going and then you can hear throttle before the impact.

a reply to: Domo1

Yea that would have been my idea…wait for him to turn down the road and just cut across both lanes and make him stop to reverse…then the boys in blue can handle it front there. EzPz and no one gets hurt. If one can't out smart a damn kid as an adult…what the hell were you doing with your life jeez.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: RickyD

IMO he was stopped or had far less forward momentum then the car. The truck got sent up in the air a tad, doesn't that show that the car hit him harder then he hit the car?

Agreed, the truck was almost stopped, like I just said previous, the truck brake lights were on. I go with what Officer Erin Behm said, not the Fox take on it,

“The person driving the truck could see it was turning back into the park, and he did not want the car to hit all of the children, or any of the children, and he actually pulled his truck in the way so the car collided with the truck,” said Officer Erin Behm with the Syracuse Police Department.

You can see what the truck driver was trying to do, and he did the right thing, in the right manner. No 'Gung Ho' stuff.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: RickyD



IMO he was stopped or had far less forward momentum then the car. The truck got sent up in the air a tad, doesn't that show that the car hit him harder then he hit the car?

No. 4x4 with a lift kit and off road (315?) tires is gonna go up and over pretty much any small car. I've done it from the side on the front fender of a Focus driving an old stock Scottsdale 4x4 with AT tires going about 20 MPH... right up and over the front end of the Foucs. (The Focus made an illegal lane change trying to grab the turn lane I was in.) Truck vs car almost always will end up with the truck coming out on top.