German (19) Charged After Reckless Chase in Pula: Drove at 100 km/h and Hit Police Car
The Municipal State Attorney's Office in Pula has filed an indictment against the 19-year-old, and the court has extended his remand in custody.
The Municipal State Attorney's Office in Pula has filed an indictment against the 19-year-old, and the court has extended his remand in custody.
The Municipal State Attorney's Office in Pula has filed an indictment against a 19-year-old German national. He is charged with the criminal offenses of coercion against an official and reckless driving in road traffic, which all ended in a dangerous chase and collision in the Pula area.
According to the indictment, the dramatic sequence of events began in early June. On June 2, the young man was driving a car with German license plates and failed to stop at the signals of police officers conducting a traffic control. Instead of stopping, he accelerated and sped at high speed onto a police parking lot.
When officers approached him to identify him, the 19-year-old locked himself in the vehicle and began fleeing in reverse. Several police patrols then joined the chase, attempting to stop the increasingly dangerous driving.
The indictment reveals frightening details of the escape. The young German national drove at a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour through the densely populated area of Pula. Particularly alarming is that he sped past an elementary school in Pula at that speed.
He also ignored the orders of police officers who approached him in an unmarked vehicle with flashing lights and sirens. When they clearly signaled with their hands and signals that he must stop, he again accelerated and abruptly swerved directly toward the police car. The escape ended in a collision with that police vehicle and a truck.
The State Attorney's Office proposed extending the remand in custody for the 19-year-old, citing the risk of flight and the possibility of reoffending. The court accepted this proposal.
At the same time, the prosecution dismissed the criminal complaint against a 21-year-old German national who was in the car as a passenger at the time of the incident. Although he was previously reported on suspicion of aiding in the commission of criminal offenses, no criminal prosecution will be initiated against him.
