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VIDEO: Truck driver runs over bystanders after doing doughnuts on Atlanta intersection

A police officer successfully hunted him down in pursuit before the truck driver could escape

By Web Desk
August 22, 2023

This video shows a truck driver mowing people down while trying to escape after doing doughnuts at an intersection in Atlanta.

A man in a Ford150 on Sunday night drove over multiple pedestrians at an Atlanta street show after doing doughnuts with the vehicle, at a busy intersection when a Georgia State Patrol officer pursued him, causing a frenetic scene.

The video of the wild moment at a busy intersection at 17th Street and Northside Drive recorded by onlookers went viral on Elon Musk's recently rebranded social media platform, X.

The driver, identified as 20-year-old Kevin Alves Da Saliva of Marietta, was soon hunted down by a Georgia State Patrol officer in pursuit as he tried to flee with the pickup truck which caused a frenetic scene.

In the video, a chaotic scene of an out-of-control vehicle plowing into people in the street can be seen, while the police chase the assailant, with shocked bystanders yelling swear words as the scene unfolds, the Daily Mail reported.

The Georgia State Patrol vehicle pursuing the truck is seen, at the end of the video, repeatedly ramming into the pickup truck to prevent it from fleeing. This manoeuvre is known as a PIT manoeuvre and it forces a fleeing vehicle to turn sideways suddenly, causing the driver to lose control and stop.

The fast-acting officer draws a weapon, causing the male driver to raise his hands in the air, and then jumps onto the assailant's car hood, pulls the driver out, and handcuffs him.

Georgia State Patrol said he was charged with fleeing and eluding – a felony, reckless driving, hit-and-run, and serious injury by motor vehicle.

Bystanders filmed the action and cheered for the cop with others. The suspect did not seem to resist when he was apprehended, the New York Post reported.

The incident, which was termed the "good guy bad guy showdown" on X by Citizen Free Press, garnered nearly 4 million views and viewers hailed the cop for his heroism, while the number of injured people remains unknown.

"Cowboy cop waited his whole career for a moment like this,' they wrote, in part. "Excellent PIT manoeuvre."