Driver yanked to safety after crashing stolen cop car onto train tracks, GA video shows
An accused car thief needed rescuing after he crashed a stolen police car into the path of an oncoming train, according to Georgia authorities.
Now, he faces multiple charges.
The 29-year-old was almost hit Saturday, Jan. 28, moments after flipping the vehicle onto train tracks in southwest Atlanta, video released by the city’s police department shows.
The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. when police stopped a driver on Greenbriar Parkway, according to a news release. That’s when authorities said “an uninvolved subject” hopped in the front seat of the officer’s cruiser and sped away.
“Yo! Back up, get out of my car!” the officer is heard shouting in the video. “Someone just got into my patrol car.”
The department’s Air Unit, which was already patrolling the area, kept eyes on the stolen vehicle as police pursued the accused joyrider, video shows. The driver lost control soon afterward and crashed on the railroad tracks near McDonough Boulevard, police said.
Officers rushed to break the car’s windows as a train barreled toward the crashed cruiser with its horns blaring, video shows.
“Train! Train! Move!” officers shout as they work to pull the man to safety, according to the video. Seconds later, the train slams into the side of the police car.
“This incident is one that truly shows no traffic stop is routine,” authorities said. “The officers involved were quickly able to transition from traffic enforcement to stolen vehicle recovery and then transition again to preservation of life.”
The driver was arrested and charged with theft by taking, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding, obstruction and damage to city property, according to police.
He remained in the Fulton County Jail on a $4,000 bond as of Jan. 30, online records show.
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