Driver tried to wrench the grappler device free by accelerating away, but left his axle behind
by Chris Chilton
1 hour ago
- A stolen car had its entire rear axle torn off while trying to escape police.
- Cops had deployed a grappler device that wraps around the rear wheels.
- The driver reversed, then shot forward, destroying the Chevrolet sedan.
Grapplers are supposed to give cops a safer, more controlled and less destructive way to end a chase than sending a fleeing driver into the scenery with a PIT maneuver.
However, as one Chevy sedan found to its cost, grappler stops can still provide plenty of drama, in this case by ripping the entire rear axle assembly from under the car.
Related: Teen Flees Police In Corvette Z06 At 142 MPH And Learns What A Grappler Does
The chase began when Michigan State Police spotted a reportedly stolen second-gen Cruze early morning in Detroit. Instead of stopping, the 27-year-old driver from Brighton hopped on westbound I-96 and tried to outrun the troopers. MSP called in Livonia police because it had recently added a new toy to its patrol fleet: a grappler.
What Happens When It Hooks?
For the uninitiated, a grappler is a mechanical arm that holds a heavy duty net folded under the front bumper of a police cruiser. When officers get close enough, they fire the net under the rear of the suspect vehicle. It wraps around the tires and axle and locks the car in place by physically tethering it to the police vehicle, a bit like a cowboy lassoing a runaway horse.
It avoids the spin-outs and collisions that can happen during a PIT maneuver and usually lets officers bring the chase to a stop with minimum fuss. Usually, we said.
The Livonia officer in this case deployed the grappler perfectly and snagged the Cruze’s rear tires. At that point the standard suspect handbook says to give up. However, this driver decided to dig deeper into the throttle pedal and try to pull away from the cruiser.
After two attempts he backs the Cruze up close to the cop car to get a good run-up in the hopes of breaking free. And yeah, 85 percent of the Chevy did break free, but the entire rear axle including wheels and brakes decided to surrender to the authorities.
A Costly Attempt to Escape
The Cruze is front-wheel drive so in theory might have been able to keep moving forward slowly for a while, dragging its back end like an 18-year old dog, but the video cuts off before we get to see if the driver gave it a shot.
No one was injured, FOX 2 Detroit reports, although the Cruze will likely never move under its own power again. Police say the driver faces charges for possessing the stolen car along with an outstanding probation violation. The passengers also had warrants from other jurisdictions.
The grappler meanwhile earned a gold star and maybe a new net after surviving one of the most dramatic demonstrations of its stopping power yet.
Photo MSP
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