IPOH: A scene from the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) video game came to life when 10 police cars chase after a female driver along Jalan Ipoh-Lumut yesterday.
In the 65-kilometre high-speed chase, the woman was arrested when her car engine stalled and tyres burst at KM29 of the stretch.
Batu Gajah police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif said a team of police was on crime prevention patrols around the Batu Gajah town about 2.50am when they spotted the woman who behaved in a suspicious manner in a white multi-purpose vehicle.
The police team tried to stop her, but she began driving recklessly and sped off along Jalan Gopeng, Jalan Ipoh-Kampar, Jalan Malim Nawar and reached a dead-end in Malim Nawar.
They gave chase and eight other police vehicles joined the chase to provide support.
The support came from the Batu Gajah motorcycle patrol Unit; the Batu Gajah mobile patrol vehicle unit; Kampar mobile patrol vehicle unit, and the Kampar police district police headquarters.
Mohamad Roy Suhaimi said when the female driver came to the dead-end, instead of stopping her vehicle, she rammed into several police cars including trying to run over a policeman who stood behind her vehicle as she threw into reverse.
"The policeman was forced to fire a shot at the left rear tyre, before she made her escape. The chase continued.
"However, the woman's vehicle stalled at KM29 due to damages to her engine and tyre," he said in a statement.
When police inspected the vehicle, he said they did not find anything and it was taken to the Batu Gajah police headquarters for further inspections.
He added that the reasons that the woman trying to flee from the police could be due to being scared, angry and under intense stress.
"She has no criminal records and there was no trace of drugs in her system based on her urine test."
Mohamad Roy Suhaimi also said five police vehicles involved in the chase were damaged when the woman crashed into them trying to escape.
"The woman has been remanded starting yesterday until Dec 8 to assist in police investigation."