Watch as teen driving 120 mph in a BMW narrowly misses hitting officer, cops say
A teen driving over 120 mph traveled across a median and careened toward a Virginia officer, narrowly missing him, according to dramatic dashcam video and police.
The 17-year-old was behind the wheel of a BMW that police said was going “extraordinarily fast” on a curve. The teen lost control, sending the car into the opposite lane of traffic, according to footage the Fairfax County Police Department shared on Twitter.
The “harrowing” video then shows the BMW race toward a car that was pulled over along the highway. An officer who had been conducting a traffic stop ran to a safer spot before the out-of-control BMW slammed into the stopped car, pushing it toward the guardrail where the officer had just been.
The jaw-dropping moments were caught on video at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 1. Police said it happened along the Fairfax County Parkway, roughly 25 miles west of Washington, D.C.
Before the crash, the officer had pulled over a driver who was accused of going 73 mph in the 50-mph zone. But the teen’s car is believed to have been going much faster — “well over 120 mph,” Deputy Chief Bob Blakley said during video of a news conference shared on Facebook.
“It was a rocket, and then it became a missile,” Chief Kevin Davis said.
Police said everyone survived what could have been a fatal crash with minor injuries.
After the crash, police praised the officer for his actions, including getting out of the way when he saw the spinning BMW. His decision to approach the stopped car from the passenger’s side also allowed him to see the road, likely impacting his response time, officers said during the news conference.
“The Fairfax County Police Department is relieved that this crash did not result in a tragedy,” officers wrote in a news release. “This is an important reminder that life can change in an instant. It is the driver’s responsibility to drive safely and arrive safely.”
The teen — who police said hit the officer’s cruiser after running into the stopped car — was charged with reckless driving. Speed, inexperience and distracted driving are believed to be the only factors in the crash.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Watch as teen driving 120 mph in a BMW narrowly misses hitting officer, cops say."
