Take a look at the thirty-four second You Tube video below, then ask yourself this: how do you think things would have turned out for O.J Simpson, had his infamous low-speed Bronco chase played out in Sao Paulo instead of Los Angeles? Brazilian authorities, it seems, have very little patience for criminal suspects, and aren’t averse to using whatever tactics may be necessary to enforce Brazilian law.
I’ve seen plenty of Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuvers over the years, but never one involving an SUV and a light aircraft. Wings are ridiculously strong by design, so we may have opted to hit the plane in a different spot (the tail, for example) to prevent take-off. We suppose that’s why we don’t carry an assault rifle and badge in Brazil (coupled with the fact that we don’t speak Portuguese), but we salute the Brazilian authorities in the video. You, sirs, have huevos mas grande.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
