Dash Cam Video Shows Teen Crush Cop Car, Flee Police in Stolen Bulldozer
Too soon to blame Grand Theft Auto?
Teens—they can't figure it out. First we hear they don't want to get driver's licenses anymore, and the next thing you know, they want to drive so much they're stealing bulldozers and running over cop cars. Don't believe us? Check out this newly released dash cam footage from a bizarre police chase in Illinois last month, as reported by ABC 7 News.
The real-life Grand Theft Auto cutscene unfolded at around 3 a.m. on August 24 when 18-year-old Austin White allegedly stole a 20-ton bulldozer from a construction site in Kankakee, Illinois, a small town about 60 miles south of Chicago. An off-duty officer soon spotted the machine "spinning around" an intersection and police responded. That's where the footage begins.
Another officer pulls his Dodge Charger up to the rear of the bulldozer, but White suddenly throws it in reverse and backs over the front and roof of the cruiser. The video is blurry, but you can clearly see the officer fling open his door and flee just as the dozer's track rips through the car. Later photos show the front end is thoroughly squashed.
After doing his best Killdozer impression, White takes off through the center of town, driving for 12 blocks with officers in hot pursuit. Some are literally running after the kid, and a Yakety Sax soundtrack honestly wouldn't feel out of place. Eventually, officers are able to hop on board and pull White out of the driver's seat, chucking him to the ground like a ragdoll.
Police later charged White with six felonies, including attempted murder for nearly crushing that cop. And yes, he didn't have a driver's license.