North Charleston police in South Carolina were in slow pursuit of a tractor excavator on a main highway that was driving at walking speed, according to WJCL. This may break the record of the slowest police vehicle chase ever, reaching speeds of 3 MPH.
Videos by Suggest
South Carolina Police Chase 3 MPH Tractor Excavator In Slowest Police Chase Ever
This hilarious ordeal happened early Sunday morning around 3:30 AM. In a police report, officers quickly noticed the giant construction vehicle with slow-moving treads venturing down Highway 78.
Not too long after, they received a burglary call from a heavily damaged business. They reported spotting the excavator leaving the area, which tipped the cops off about their suspect.
Police began the unhurried vehicle chase, alarming the excavator driver on loudspeakers to pull over. They also put on their bright blue lights, but that didn’t stop the driver. The construction vehicle drove so slowly that police vehicles had to stop multiple times just to not pass it.
The heart-racing 3 MPH chase went on for a gruelling hour and 12 minutes. It finally ended when the excavator got stuck on the Charleston County Fairgrounds. Although the construction driver attempted to flee, a drone followed him.
Eventually, a police dog and its handler caught up to him and arrested the culprit. The police charged the 53-year-old excavator driver with failure to stop for a blue light and two counts of malicious injury to real property.
According to WCBD, police identified the driver as Johnny Messa Jr. It took the help of deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office to block traffic intersections.
The driver now remains in the Charleston County Jail. According to jail records the outlet obtained, he has a $22,000 bond.
We currently don’t know the reasons behind Mesa’s destruction of the business. Reports have also not yet revealed how Mesa gained access to a tractor excavator. We may find out more if an investigation continues.