Tanks for the ride: US soldier steals armoured vehicle
Talk about a spectacular joyride: an American soldier commandeered an armored personnel carrier and led police on a chase along a major highway for more than an hour.
In scenes that drew comparisons with the anarchic Grand Theft Auto videogame series, the vehicle tore through streets, ignoring traffic signals – and the screaming sirens in hot pursuit.
Cops in the eastern state of Virginia were unable to deploy the stingers that might normally be laid out across the roads to burst a stolen car's tyres.
Instead, they raced along behind the sand-coloured all-terrain vehicle, whose caterpillar tracks were carrying it at speeds of up to 65 kms per hour.
Posting a video of the chase, Twitter-user @ParkerSlay89, wrote: ‘This is INSANE!
‘Someone has hijacked a 'Tank-like' vehicle from Fort Pickett and just drove it by our apartment!’
Kayleigh, a bystander, told local TV network WWBT: ‘Honestly it kinda reminds me of the Grand Theft Auto games where the tanks drive just in the middle of the city, it's surreal.’
The wildly successful Grand Theft Auto series is an open-world video game in which players create mayhem across an urban landscape, stealing vehicles and committing crimes.
Virginia State Police Sargent Keeli Hill told reporters the APC, which was not equipped with any weapons, had been boosted from a Virginia National Guard base and driven along a major road to the state capital, Richmond.
During the pursuit, officers closed exit ramps on the highway, Hill said, adding the soldier eventually stopped the vehicle and surrendered.
High-speed police chases are a regular feature of US news networks, many of which dispatch helicopters to give their audience a bird's-eye view of the action.
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings]()
Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings
Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.
-
![How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence]()
How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence
The future on the frontlines: automation and AI isn’t just about improving efficiency or driving down labour cost - for Pearson Engineering it’s everything.
-
![How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?]()
How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?
Learn how RTX systems defend against complex attacks from adversaries including hostile drones, and multi-range missiles.
-
![Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces]()
Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces
The order is for 270 vehicles, 222 of which are infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) known as Schakal (Jackal), which integrates the advanced Puma IFV RCT30 turret onto the Boxer chassis.
-
![AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system]()
AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system
The aerospace company showed a model of its new mobile howitzer at AUSA in Washington, where a representative told Shephard more about its design.
-
![AUSA 2025: BAE Systems delivers more than 500 AMPVs to the US Army]()
AUSA 2025: BAE Systems delivers more than 500 AMPVs to the US Army
The US Army requires 2,907 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles to replace its M113 family, and there are multiple versions in production.
