A Google Maps Car Got Into a Police Chase, and We Really Want to See That Street View
Cops say the car was doing about 100 mph, 360-cameras strapped to the top and everything.
People that wind up in police chases generally don't choose their vehicle for the purpose. They just get stuck with whatever they were driving when they suddenly decided to book it from the law. That was very much the case with a recent incident in Indiana, which saw a Google Maps driver fleeing at high speed.
As reported by SFGate, the incident allegedly occurred when an officer of the Middletown Police Department spotted a car speeding at approximately 100 mph, traveling westbound on US Route 36. The vehicle was quickly identified as a Google Maps car, charged with collecting imagery for Street View. As the officer attempted to catch up with the car, the driver reportedly continued to exceed the speed limit for several miles, while also driving through a red light.
The curious chase came to an end a short time later, when the driver tried to avoid a closed bridge. According to a press release from authorities, the driver then lost control of the vehicle, with the SUV careening through a yard before winding up stuck in a creek.
Allegedly, the driver, holding a Florida license, gave no reason for the chase other than that he was "scared to stop." The driver was taken to a hospital and then jail by authorities, and charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle.
In a statement made to SFGate regarding the matter, Google indicated the Street View car was driven by an external contractor. “We take the safety of our Street View operations very seriously,” said a Google spokesperson, adding “We’re committed to working with the contracted company and local authorities to ensure the proper actions are taken to address this situation."
Those wishing to get away with speeding would be best advised to choose a car less conspicuous than a Google Street View SUV with a whole stack of cameras on top.
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