Every day, the police must decide how best to protect the public. Arkansas seems to be returning more often than most of the country to dangerous PIT maneuvers, or vehicle tactical intervention, as it is officially called, slamming into the back of the car of a person being pursued by police in order to cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Of course, the police never know what they will encounter when they stop a suspect or carry out said procedure. According to cops, the driver in that story actually got out of the wrecked car and drank a beer before going to jail.
All this happened in Forrest City, which is about two hours from the capital city of Little Rock. Arkansas State Police said a local police station was chasing a Dodge Ram that refused to stop for a traffic violation. ASP officers joined the pursuit and took control before using what is known as TVI, or tactical vehicle intervention. In other words, they used the PIT maneuver.
As a result, the pick-up driver lost control of the vehicle, overturned and ended up in a ditch. The driver somehow managed to get out of the damaged semi-truck. When he did, he grabbed a can of beer and took a few more sips, according to surveillance video. According to the police, it was Busch beer. Maybe the driver realized that he was going to jail and had a little beer before that.
He now faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended license, driving without a seat belt, driving without liability insurance, driving under the influence of alcohol on a highway, improper lane change, failure to obey a traffic control device and refusal to take a breathalyzer test.
Drinking alcohol while driving is, as everyone knows, a terribly bad idea. Drinking alcohol, drinking alcohol while driving, being chased by the police and then drinking a little more is even higher on the list of bad ideas and a reminder that even if you are a really conscientious driver, not everyone around you is necessarily either.