A reckless driver fleeing a police check in Dortmund struck an undercover officer with a mirror, sped past a red light at 154 km/h, and escaped despite a massive manhunt involving multiple squad cars and a helicopter on Wednesday evening.
What began as a routine traffic stop in a 30 km/h zone quickly escalated into a high-speed pursuit across the city. Officers spotted a white Mercedes traveling at an excessive speed shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday. When police attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver ignored the signal, hit the accelerator, and ran a red light, setting off a chase through Dortmund’s northern district.
The Confrontation at the Borsigstraße Parking Lot
The pursuit intensified when law enforcement attempted to box the suspect in on a hardware store parking lot along Borsigstraße. Plainclothes officers moved in on foot with drawn weapons, positioning themselves in front of the white Mercedes to force a stop. Instead of yielding, the driver gunned the engine.
Footage of the incident reviewed by BILD captures several patrol cars securing the exit while undercover officers approach the white vehicle with weapons drawn. The driver suddenly accelerates, clipping one of the investigators with the mirror and sending him tumbling to the ground. The injured officer was transported by ambulance to a Dortmund hospital with light injuries.
Escape Through Bornstraße and Ongoing Manhunt
Following the collision, the driver blasted out of the parking lot and escaped via Bornstraße, a multi-lane arterial road. Even with a police helicopter tracking the vehicle from the air, the driver managed to slip away, hitting a clocked speed of 154 km/h along the escape route. Earlier municipal speed cameras had also captured the white luxury performance vehicle traveling at roughly 160 km/h within the city limits, giving investigators a clear digital record of the suspect’s speed.
Police launched a wide-scale manhunt through the night, deploying patrol units and the airborne unit to scour the area. Hours later, acting on a tip, authorities located the abandoned Mercedes in Dortmund-Kirchderne and secured the vehicle. Investigators discovered that the car lacked active insurance coverage.
The Legal Case and Remaining Uncertainty
While the luxury vehicle is now in police custody, the driver remains at large. Law enforcement officials know the suspect by name, meaning the investigation centers on tracking down his current whereabouts rather than identifying him.
Authorities have classified the driver’s actions under specific criminal charges. Investigators are currently prosecuting the case as dangerous bodily harm and hit-and-run offenses, while BILD adds that the collision is currently assessed as assault rather than attempted homicide.
