Guy Who Led Cops on Low-Speed Chase Tells a Familiar Tale

A man in a tow truck led police on an extremely slow chase through the streets of San Diego on Monday, never hitting speeds over 10mph. The pursuit began around 7:45pm as police went after an allegedly stolen tow truck. Over the course of an hour, officers followed the vehicle from the Pacific Beach neighborhood to the downtown area. That included a 5mph jaunt on Interstate 5, per KSWB. The driver, who was at one point on the phone with dispatchers, allegedly reported that there was a bomb on the truck that would explode if he stopped—a scenario that plays out in the 1994 movie Speed, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, per the San Diego Union-Tribune.

KNSD shared footage of the tow truck, followed by at least a dozen police vehicles, slowly driving along with its flatbed dragging against the road, creating puffs of smoke and a trail of sparks. The outlet also shared footage of police firing pepper balls inside the truck cab after using spike strips to take out the vehicle's front tires. The driver is seen sitting in the stopped truck as the irritant clouds around him. He soon after exits with his hands up. Police said they found no bomb inside the truck, which hit at least one other vehicle during the chase, per KSWB. The unidentified driver, to face charges including vehicular theft, was taken to a hospital for evaluation, per KNSD. (More weird crimes stories.)