State police helicopter tracks down reckless driver on Detroit's west side

State police helicopter tracks down reckless Detroit driver

Early Sunday morning the driver of a Dodge Charger was seen driving recklessly on Detroit's west side, then sped off from an attempted traffic stop. The MSP chopper Trooper 2 tracked the suspect until he was arrested.

FOX 2 - Michigan State Police's eye in the sky remains undefeated in the latest social media video share of a reckless driver arrest in Detroit.

The backstory:

MSP helicopter Trooper 2 spotted a driver doing burnouts and donuts in an intersection at 12:10 a.m. Sunday, dangerously close to a crowd of onlookers gathered in the street, then speeding off.

The antics unfolded with the driver of a black Dodge Charger near McNichols and Van Dyke  on the city's west side. MSP Second District on X, formerly Twitter, shared the video. 

After spotting the driver doing donuts from the air, Troopers in a cruiser on the ground tried to stop the drive,  but he sped off. 

Rather than have the MSP cruiser give chase, the MSP helicopter maintained surveillance of the suspect.

The pursuit continued across the west side, while stopping twice to drop off passengers.

Eventually the suspect bailed out and was arrested shortly after jumping out of the car and fleeing on foot at Piedmont and Constance.

A 29-year-old Detroit man was arrested by MSP troopers without further incident and the vehicle was impounded. 

"This is another case of a driver putting our community at risk by driving recklessly on our streets," said MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw in a statement. "Fortunately, Trooper 2 was in the area, and they, with troopers on the ground, were able to take the suspect into custody without a pursuit. 

"Just a reminder as the weather gets warmer, drag racing and reckless driving will not be tolerated by our communities."