Dashcam video from inside an Arkansas State Police cruiser shows the moment when it rammed a fleeing suspects Chevrolet Camaro head-on. The suspect who appears to be getting ready to exit was nearly run over by his own car. Video of the incident indicates that the officer at the wheel of the cruiser tried to stop before the crash.
Police say that Tyrese Lancaster, 19, was at the helm of the Camaro in question when they spotted him speeding on I-530 before they attempted a traffic stop. Evidently, that’s when Lancaster drove his car up to speeds in excess of 140mph (225 km/h) in an attempt to get away.
The chase ended when Lancaster failed to navigate a high-speed turn in the Camaro. He hit a guard rail and was stopped almost immediately on the other side of the lane. The lead chase car stops on the right side of the lane and just as the officer is about to get out, another following cruiser narrowly misses him and slams into the front of the Chevrolet.
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Just before crashing into the Camaro, Lancaster had exited the car, and directly after the impact, the video shows the front tire just miss rolling right over him. “Tried to stop… tried to stop” we can hear an Arkansas State Police officer say. The overlay of the video indicates that it’s Trooper Terrell Pratt behind the wheel.
The overlay also features indications of when the mic, brakes, lights, and sirens are active on the cruiser. While we can’t confirm their functionality on this car, it does seem to indicate that the driver was trying to slow down long before the collision. It’s possible that brake fade associated with the high-speed chase limited braking ability. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
According to KARK, Lancaster now faces charges of reckless driving, no seat belt, speeding 1-15 mph over limit, fleeing in vehicle, and possession or purchase of alcohol by a minor. That last charge has to do with the fact that four unopened beers were in the car at the time of the accident though police haven’t given any indication that alcohol had anything to do with the chase or the accident itself.