Ford Mustangs have spent years developing an unfortunate reputation for finding their way into curbs, crowds, and roadside landscaping. It’s a running joke among car enthusiasts, even if modern Mustangs are far more capable than the memes suggest. One California driver did little to improve that reputation after attempting to outrun police in Los Angeles.
The November 5 pursuit took officers onto the famous curves of Mulholland Drive, where Key News Network reported speeds reaching approximately 50 mph. Other reports put the pursuit’s speed as high as 80 mph, hardly record-setting territory for a police chase. Nevertheless, the Mustang ended up in the bushes outside a Sherman Oaks home after officers deployed spike strips.
The driver was apprehended after the crash, but his passenger apparently thought the whole escape attempt could have been handled better. He told officers he had just gotten out of prison for felony evading and insisted they wouldn’t have caught him if he’d been driving.
Between the Mustang’s unfortunate ending and the passenger’s unsolicited driving critique, the encounter offered plenty of material for viewers already familiar with the car’s reputation.
A Mustang Takes on Mulholland Drive
According to reporting from City News Service, LAPD officers began pursuing the black Mustang around 1:02 a.m. near Sepulveda Boulevard and Saticoy Street in the San Fernando Valley.
The driver entered Interstate 405 before heading onto Mulholland Drive, a road famous for its winding corners and scenic overlooks.
Key News Network reported speeds reaching approximately 50 mph on Mulholland Drive. Other accounts described speeds of approximately 80 mph, although the higher figure was not tied to a particular section of road.
Neither figure would be especially remarkable in a triple-digit freeway pursuit, although Mulholland’s narrow curves and roadside spectators make even substantially lower speeds potentially dangerous.
At one point, officers lost sight of the Mustang before another police unit located it east of Beverly Glen Boulevard.
The Mustang Meme Gets Another Example
Police eventually deployed spike strips near Mulholland Drive and Beverly Glen Boulevard, puncturing the Mustang’s tires.
The pursuit ended around 1:28 a.m. when the driver crashed into bushes outside a residence in the 3400 block of Woodcliff Road in Sherman Oaks.
The Mustang sustained significant front-end damage, and its airbags deployed. According to KNN, the driver attempted to flee on foot after the collision but collapsed while complaining of injuries.
Paramedics responded, and one man was transported to a hospital.
For anyone unfamiliar with the joke, Mustangs have become a recurring subject of internet videos showing drivers losing control at car meets, pulling away from crowds, or attempting ambitious maneuvers with unfortunate results.
The stereotype isn’t particularly fair to the cars themselves. Modern performance Mustangs are capable machines, and the vehicle in this incident had already suffered tire damage from police spike strips.
Nevertheless, the sight of another Mustang ending up in the landscaping was enough to draw familiar reactions online.
One commenter wrote, “It was just a matter of time before the Mustang did the usual Mustang thing.”
Passenger Says He Would Have Done Better
The driver’s passenger apparently had his own ideas about how the pursuit should have gone.
As officers investigated the crash, the passenger told them he had recently been released from prison for felony evading.
“If I was driving, you wouldn’t have caught me, I swear to God,” he told officers in footage captured by KNN.
He also reportedly told police, “I’ll wear you guys out.”
His account of his criminal history has not been independently verified, but the timing of the boast was notable. The passenger had just watched the Mustang’s actual driver fail to escape before offering his assessment of how the job should have been done.
The driver was apprehended following the crash and reportedly faces a felony evading charge. The passenger was detained at the scene, although his final custody disposition has not been independently verified.
Questions Remain About the Mustang and the Arrest
Early reports conflict on whether the Mustang was stolen. Guessing Headlights has contacted LAPD seeking clarification about the vehicle’s status, the driver’s identity, and the charges filed in connection with the pursuit.
City News Service also reported a separate collision near the arrest location, although the circumstances and vehicles involved remain unclear. No injuries were reported in connection with that collision.
Whatever the outstanding details, the pursuit ended with the Mustang damaged, its driver apprehended, and a passenger confidently explaining that he could have done better.
The internet, meanwhile, received another Mustang video to add to the collection.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.