10 Intense Car Chases Caught on Live TV
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VOICE OVER: Tom Aglio
WRITTEN BY: Jordy McKen
People watching at home couldn't believe these wild car chases! For this list, we'll be examining the most thrilling, bizarre, and craziest vehicle pursuits that the police have been involved in to ever be broadcast on TV. Our countdown includes car chases in Indiana, San Diego, Dallas and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at 10 Intense Car Chases Caught on Live TV. For this list, we’ll be examining the most thrilling, bizarre, and craziest vehicle pursuits that the police have been involved in to ever be broadcast on TV. Do you remember seeing any of these live? Let us know below!
Some runners don’t know when to give up. In June 2001, Deputy Tiffany Murphy realized the sedan near her had been reported stolen and drove after it through Indianapolis, Indiana. The 16-year-old driver refused to pull over, and a chase began. After Murphy called for support, one officer attempted to throw spikes under the sedan’s wheels, only for the teenage driver to veer onto the grass, knocking off the vehicle’s bumper. With no control and going too fast, the car sailed off a bank before flopping into a retention pond. The teen then tried to escape by swimming in the water. But his skills let him down as officers armed with dogs on the other side forced him to give up.
Usually, car chases are pretty short and sweet. But not this incident in October 2011 in Ontario, Canada. Jason Meadus stole a flatbed truck, and when the cops spotted him, he went on a cruise around the province lasting 500 kilometers, around 311 miles! Up to 20 police cars and a helicopter followed this truck during its sightseeing cruise. Eventually, seeing the pointlessness of continuing since the vehicle contained a restricted speed device, Meadus gave himself up and was arrested. Altogether, the chase lasted a whopping five hours! The law came down hard on Meadus, as he was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of probation, and banned from driving for life.
Using substances and driving is a bad mix. But in February 1997, Cameron Taylor took it to another level in San Diego, California. He got onto a bus while holding a knife, forcing the driver and the lone passenger off it. From there, Taylor drove his hijacked vehicle around various routes, often coming into danger over his two-and-a-half-hour trip. Crowds even gathered to watch, occasionally running alongside the rogue bus in support. Thanks to a spike strip destroying the wheels, Taylor’s cruise ceased. Reportedly, when he got off the bus to be arrested, a police car left in neutral and, with a cop dog in the driver’s seat, ran over Taylor’s foot.
Having stolen a BMW sedan in Los Angeles, California, the driver was recklessly speeding and weaving through vehicles as the police pursued. Even having a minor crash didn’t stop the criminal. But LA traffic sure did. Seeing no option, the driver left the car on the road and used a skateboard to try and escape. But then, a red truck tried to block his path. When that didn’t work, it tried again and succeeded in stopping the skater, who was arrested. The driver of the heroic truck was reality TV star Lou Pizzaro, who worked on “Operation Repo,” among others. The vehicle he used to help out is very similar to that in the show’s intro.
After South Korean national Kim Hong-il made an illegal turn in his car near Orange, California, in February 1996, he did it in view of a police officer who attempted to pull him over. However, Kim refused, and the chase was on. He recklessly sped through traffic, eventually arriving at a shopping mall and nearly running people over. In the parking lot, Kim was cornered by several officers and cruisers. But he was seemingly not ready to give up. Allegedly preparing to ram a couple of officers, the police shot into the vehicle several times, fatally wounding Kim. This incident sparked a massive debate on whether the Orange County police’s actions were justified or not.
Police in Dallas, Texas, were in for an adventure in November 2001 when they saw the owner of a truck carrying lumber hanging onto the side of the vehicle to try and stop it from being stolen. After the owner fell off, a 90-minute chase began. The cops managed to shoot out the trailer’s back tire. However, the sparks from the rim ignited the lumber, turning the pursuit super dangerous. At one point, the heat fired a flaming wheel across the road! The police even opened fire to stop the chase. To save himself, the driver shook the vehicle to cause the lumber to block the way behind. But with a firearm wound, he decided to give himself up.
In July 2007, a police pursuit was in progress in Phoenix, Arizona. One helicopter from KNXV-TV and another from KTVK were in the sky to report the incident. As Craig Smith was reporting live on the pursuit for KNXV-TV, the feed suddenly became corrupted and horrifying noises could be heard. The two helicopters had collided and fallen out of the sky, landing in a secluded area. The four people aboard the aircrafts, KNXV-TV pilot Smith and photographer Rick Krolak, and KTVK’s pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox, all perished in the terrible accident. Investigators believed pilot error was the cause as they had to watch radio transmissions, fly the helicopter, and report the news simultaneously.
For years, Marvin Heemeyer had been battling zoning issues with the planning commission of Granby, Colorado. Having gone through the legal routes and not gotten the answer he desired, the muffler repair shop owner used his welding skills to outfit a bulldozer into a rampaging tool of destruction. In June 2004, Heemeyer took his Killdozer through Granby, where he destroyed 13 properties, including the town hall, the newspaper office, and the house that belonged to a former mayor. Heemeyer’s rampage cost an estimated $7 million in damages and lasted two hours. Heemeyer had enough supplies to stay in the contraption for a week. But after the damaged bulldozer became stuck in a hardware store, Heemeyer took his own life.
In May 1995, Shawn Nelson drove into the California Army National Guard in San Diego without a problem. Little did the guards know Nelson, a former soldier, had fallen on bad times due to addiction issues and losing his plumbing business and house. He found an M60A3 tank, broke the padlock, got inside, and drove it away to cause havoc in the neighborhood, but he reportedly made sure not to harm people. Dozens of cars were flattened during his 6-mile rampage as well as the destruction of traffic lights, utility poles, and other infrastructure. Police eventually got onto the tank and opened it up as Nelson spun the top to shake them off before he was fatally shot.
Days after the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found in June 1994, the police in Los Angeles, California, expected former football star O.J. Simpson to turn himself in to be charged for his ex-wife and her friend’s murder. Instead, he went on the run. This sparked the most iconic police chase in history as Simpson, in his white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings, attempted to outmaneuver 20 cop cruisers. 95 million folks tuned in to watch the astonishing chase over two hours. Some broadcasters showed a split screen, one side the epic chase, the other a sporting event. Eventually, Simpson stopped at his Brentwood home, called his mom, drank some juice, then was arrested.
Quick Dip
Some runners don’t know when to give up. In June 2001, Deputy Tiffany Murphy realized the sedan near her had been reported stolen and drove after it through Indianapolis, Indiana. The 16-year-old driver refused to pull over, and a chase began. After Murphy called for support, one officer attempted to throw spikes under the sedan’s wheels, only for the teenage driver to veer onto the grass, knocking off the vehicle’s bumper. With no control and going too fast, the car sailed off a bank before flopping into a retention pond. The teen then tried to escape by swimming in the water. But his skills let him down as officers armed with dogs on the other side forced him to give up.
The Long Pursuit
Usually, car chases are pretty short and sweet. But not this incident in October 2011 in Ontario, Canada. Jason Meadus stole a flatbed truck, and when the cops spotted him, he went on a cruise around the province lasting 500 kilometers, around 311 miles! Up to 20 police cars and a helicopter followed this truck during its sightseeing cruise. Eventually, seeing the pointlessness of continuing since the vehicle contained a restricted speed device, Meadus gave himself up and was arrested. Altogether, the chase lasted a whopping five hours! The law came down hard on Meadus, as he was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of probation, and banned from driving for life.
California Speeding
Using substances and driving is a bad mix. But in February 1997, Cameron Taylor took it to another level in San Diego, California. He got onto a bus while holding a knife, forcing the driver and the lone passenger off it. From there, Taylor drove his hijacked vehicle around various routes, often coming into danger over his two-and-a-half-hour trip. Crowds even gathered to watch, occasionally running alongside the rogue bus in support. Thanks to a spike strip destroying the wheels, Taylor’s cruise ceased. Reportedly, when he got off the bus to be arrested, a police car left in neutral and, with a cop dog in the driver’s seat, ran over Taylor’s foot.
Reality Race
Having stolen a BMW sedan in Los Angeles, California, the driver was recklessly speeding and weaving through vehicles as the police pursued. Even having a minor crash didn’t stop the criminal. But LA traffic sure did. Seeing no option, the driver left the car on the road and used a skateboard to try and escape. But then, a red truck tried to block his path. When that didn’t work, it tried again and succeeded in stopping the skater, who was arrested. The driver of the heroic truck was reality TV star Lou Pizzaro, who worked on “Operation Repo,” among others. The vehicle he used to help out is very similar to that in the show’s intro.
The Valentine's Day Pursuit
After South Korean national Kim Hong-il made an illegal turn in his car near Orange, California, in February 1996, he did it in view of a police officer who attempted to pull him over. However, Kim refused, and the chase was on. He recklessly sped through traffic, eventually arriving at a shopping mall and nearly running people over. In the parking lot, Kim was cornered by several officers and cruisers. But he was seemingly not ready to give up. Allegedly preparing to ram a couple of officers, the police shot into the vehicle several times, fatally wounding Kim. This incident sparked a massive debate on whether the Orange County police’s actions were justified or not.
Following the Fire
Police in Dallas, Texas, were in for an adventure in November 2001 when they saw the owner of a truck carrying lumber hanging onto the side of the vehicle to try and stop it from being stolen. After the owner fell off, a 90-minute chase began. The cops managed to shoot out the trailer’s back tire. However, the sparks from the rim ignited the lumber, turning the pursuit super dangerous. At one point, the heat fired a flaming wheel across the road! The police even opened fire to stop the chase. To save himself, the driver shook the vehicle to cause the lumber to block the way behind. But with a firearm wound, he decided to give himself up.
Air Accident
In July 2007, a police pursuit was in progress in Phoenix, Arizona. One helicopter from KNXV-TV and another from KTVK were in the sky to report the incident. As Craig Smith was reporting live on the pursuit for KNXV-TV, the feed suddenly became corrupted and horrifying noises could be heard. The two helicopters had collided and fallen out of the sky, landing in a secluded area. The four people aboard the aircrafts, KNXV-TV pilot Smith and photographer Rick Krolak, and KTVK’s pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox, all perished in the terrible accident. Investigators believed pilot error was the cause as they had to watch radio transmissions, fly the helicopter, and report the news simultaneously.
The Killdozer
For years, Marvin Heemeyer had been battling zoning issues with the planning commission of Granby, Colorado. Having gone through the legal routes and not gotten the answer he desired, the muffler repair shop owner used his welding skills to outfit a bulldozer into a rampaging tool of destruction. In June 2004, Heemeyer took his Killdozer through Granby, where he destroyed 13 properties, including the town hall, the newspaper office, and the house that belonged to a former mayor. Heemeyer’s rampage cost an estimated $7 million in damages and lasted two hours. Heemeyer had enough supplies to stay in the contraption for a week. But after the damaged bulldozer became stuck in a hardware store, Heemeyer took his own life.
Armored Assault
In May 1995, Shawn Nelson drove into the California Army National Guard in San Diego without a problem. Little did the guards know Nelson, a former soldier, had fallen on bad times due to addiction issues and losing his plumbing business and house. He found an M60A3 tank, broke the padlock, got inside, and drove it away to cause havoc in the neighborhood, but he reportedly made sure not to harm people. Dozens of cars were flattened during his 6-mile rampage as well as the destruction of traffic lights, utility poles, and other infrastructure. Police eventually got onto the tank and opened it up as Nelson spun the top to shake them off before he was fatally shot.
The White Bronco
Days after the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found in June 1994, the police in Los Angeles, California, expected former football star O.J. Simpson to turn himself in to be charged for his ex-wife and her friend’s murder. Instead, he went on the run. This sparked the most iconic police chase in history as Simpson, in his white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings, attempted to outmaneuver 20 cop cruisers. 95 million folks tuned in to watch the astonishing chase over two hours. Some broadcasters showed a split screen, one side the epic chase, the other a sporting event. Eventually, Simpson stopped at his Brentwood home, called his mom, drank some juice, then was arrested.
