Dashcams inside police patrol vehicles often capture jaw-dropping incidents, reminding everyone that even officers are not safe on the road.
One such incident has surfaced online from Arizona, which created a buzz not because the car in it crashed at high speed or because it flipped over in a dramatic manner.
In fact, the car involved in the incident was crawling at walking speeds towards the police patrol vehicle, eventually crashing with a force not enough to even knock a table over, if that suffices as a good analogy.
This happened right in the middle of the day, with police even warning the driver with the patrol vehicle’s siren moments before impact, or shall we say, touch? However, that did not help.
DUI Driver or Man Too Old to Drive?
The video, posted by Arizona’s Family on Instagram, has gone viral. It shows the black Honda SUV approaching the police patrol vehicle, driving the wrong way at slow speeds.
Noticing the unusual behavior, the patrol vehicle slowed down. However, the oncoming SUV neither switched lanes nor stopped. This prompted the officer to stop his patrol vehicle.
However, the SUV kept coming. It wasn’t until the vehicle came too close for comfort that the officer turned on the lights and the siren.
Unfortunately, that did not encourage the driver of the black SUV to slam the brakes. The footage becomes blurry just when the SUV hits the police car.
Seconds later, it was as if the driver realized what had happened. He reversed a few feet while the officer could be heard communicating about the incident on the radio.
The blurred footage vaguely shows a man exiting the black SUV, while the police officer guides him, saying, “Hey, over here.”
The man then asks, “What is going on?” The officer responds, telling him that he was driving on the wrong side of the road.
The man appeared disoriented, leading the officer to direct him. The video caption describes him as a DUI suspect, but a confirmed report is not available.
Viewers in the comments argued whether the driver of the SUV was drunk or if he was too old to be driving. Some reactions are below:
This user said old people need to undergo cognitive tests every year to be able to drive:
“Can tell this was an elderly man I think once you hit a certain age you should have cognitive tests yearly to make sure you can safely be on the roads”
Another user highlights this was a clear DUI case:
“Why is everyone confused at what happened when it clearly says a DUI?”
One user pointed out the slow speed of the SUV:
“Is this in slow motion or was she so freaking high that it was like driving 2 mph?”
A user was glad the incident occurred at slow speeds:
“I’m glad it was slow. I thought it was high speed. Drunk or elderly. License revoked”
View this post on Instagram
Field Sobriety Test Conducted
AZ Family revealed in a separate report that the incident occurred in Yavapai County on Highway 69 on Thursday. The dashcam video was shared by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, highlighting the officer’s brave attempt to face the car traveling in the wrong direction.
The man was reported to be in his late 70s. He is said to have undergone a field sobriety test and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. His identity has been kept confidential.
The incident could have been much worse if another vehicle had been traveling at high speed instead of the patrol vehicle.