During a high-speed police chase on Friday in California, the driver of a stolen vehicle unexpectedly stopped for gas but still attempted to escape, as captured by a Wild News helicopter.
The individual was seen filling up a blue Infinity sedan at a Shell gas station in Wilshire, Los Angeles, while the chase reached speeds close to 100 mph, according to KABC.
Footage revealed a man nervously refueling his car, trying to obscure his face with his shirt while a news helicopter hovered nearby, matching the speed alongside him.
As the helicopter reporter noted, at that moment, there was no police vehicle in sight, allowing the suspect to fill up for over a minute.
He appeared surprisingly unconcerned, casually standing next to the open door, while a motorcycle rider at the next pump seemed ready to intervene at any moment.
“You could tell he was pushing the limits of what could be considered suspicious,” the reporter remarked.
After finishing, the driver carefully replaced the gas nozzle and left the station just as police resumed their pursuit.
Once on the move again, the driver seemed to realize he was being tracked by both news and police helicopters, opting to navigate under various highways to dodge detection.
Eventually, he abandoned the vehicle in a concealed area where it crashed into a light pole as officers caught up to the scene.
The News Chopper Reporter described this as “perhaps the smartest move he made all night.”
Meanwhile, police searched the area, looking for the man who had escaped after the car chase.
KABC reported that the California Highway Patrol suspects he might have been aided by another driver in his getaway.
