Getting involved in a police chase is always a bad idea. Worse, if it’s a two-lane rural highway bordering on the southern edge of the Ozark Mountains with state troopers that know every dip and curve of the road. When it involves a third-generation Toyota Prius, it’s probably safe to say the driver’s made more than a few wrong turns in life.
The third-generation Toyota Prius is a reliable hybrid that makes an excellent commuter car, getting up to 48 mpg on the highway and 51 mpg around town. It’s practical and capable of many things but does not make a good chase vehicle. With a 0 to 60 mph time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph, plenty of vehicles will outrun it.
If someone ever made a remake of “Smokey and the Bandit,” rural Arkansas, where this chase occurred, would make a good backdrop, but the Prius would be crash fodder or a punchline. Maybe the modern equivalent to Burt Reynolds would sail a Chevrolet Camaro customized with a Trans Am beak over one, but the Prius would not be a hero car.
The driver of the Prius is no hero either. Traveling at speeds over 100 mph with the rear bumper cover partly torn off, she is taking a lot of risks in a futile attempt to evade the police. The Prius would already be forced off the road at lower speeds or in a less busy area.
Even so, the chase doesn’t last long. About nine minutes into the video, it appears the Prius sheds a tread on one of its tires but keeps going. More chunks of the tire fly off and the driver skids off the road, pinned by the police cars against the berm of a railroad track. The driver is quickly handcuffed but puts up a fight as she’s taken away.
No reason is given as to why the young lady was running from the police. At one point someone mentions that the driver is 17 years old, which might complicate how she is charged. But one thing is for certain, neither the car or the driver will be on the road anytime soon.
