Police in Washington State, USA, believe that a dog was responsible for engaging them in a high-speed car chase before being immobilized.
Officers said that they found a pet pit bull behind the wheel of the owner’s 1996 Buick car. One officer reported seeing the pit bull in the driver’s seat with the owner handling the steering wheel from the passenger seat.
The car is reported to have gone beyond 175 km/h during the chase and even drove on a pedestrian trail. The chase eventually ended with the officers throwing down spike strips.
When the owner was asked about why the dog was behind the wheel, he simply answered that he was “trying to teach his dog how to drive”.
I wish I could make this up. I’ve been a trooper for almost 12 years and wow, I’ve never heard this excuse. I’ve been in a lot of high speed chases, I’ve stopped a lot of cars, and never have I gotten an excuse that they were teaching their dog how to drive
Heather Axtman, Washington State Patrol officer
The dog has since been taken to a local animal shelter while the owner was released on an $8,500 bond.