Dramatic traffic camera footage captured the violent end of a high-speed police pursuit early Wednesday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as a suspect in a stolen-plate Chevy Suburban raced through an intersection and slammed into the cab of a FedEx semi-truck.
The incident unfolded around 12:40 a.m. at the intersection of 24th Street and Veterans Memorial Highway. Council Bluffs Police said officers attempted to pull over the Suburban, which carried stolen plates from Lincoln, Nebraska. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated, blowing through the intersection at high speed with police cruisers in pursuit and their lights flashing behind him.
Iowa Department of Transportation traffic cameras recorded the entire sequence. The video shows the Suburban barreling into the intersection and striking the front of the FedEx tractor-trailer with tremendous force. The impact rocked the semi, sending debris flying and producing a cloud of smoke and steam as the vehicles came to a rest. Police vehicles with emergency lights arrived almost immediately at the scene of the wreckage.
The driver of the Suburban sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital in nearby Omaha for treatment. The FedEx driver was uninjured and declined medical attention, authorities said.
Council Bluffs Police investigators have applied for warrants charging the SUV driver with eluding police and reckless driving. No arrest had been reported as of the latest available information from local authorities.
The footage, which has circulated widely online, highlights the dangers of high-speed pursuits, particularly in urban areas where commercial vehicles and ordinary traffic can be caught in the path of fleeing drivers. The FedEx semi was clearly marked and positioned at the intersection when the Suburban struck its cab.
Local officials have not released additional details about the initial reason for the attempted traffic stop or the suspect’s identity. The Council Bluffs Police Department is investigating the case as officers seek warrants related to the chase and the resulting crash.
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