A driver in the Czech Republic recently attempted an illegal pass, overtaking two passenger cars on a two-lane road near a railroad crossing. It’s the kind of thing that happens frequently in places all over the world. But what makes this situation unusual is one of the cars passed was an unmarked police car.
The video shows the event unfolding from the vantage point of two cameras inside the unmarked police car, one mounted on the dashboard and one facing out the rear window. As the police car approaches a railroad crossing, it slows down, as does the hatchback in front of it. At the same time, a large tandem trailer truck approaches in the oncoming lane.
A silver Ford approaches from the rear. As soon as the truck passes, it speeds up, passing the police car and the hatchback just as the two cars cross the railroad track. Immediately, the unmarked police car accelerates, pulling around the hatchback and taking up pursuit of the Ford. It’s not clear if the police car turned on its lights and siren, but the Ford quickly engaged its hazard lights. Then, the driver pulls to the side of the road and waits for the police officer to approach their vehicle.
According to a translation of the video on the Czechia Police YouTube channel, the violation occurred at a rail crossing near Sedlec, a community about forty miles outside Prague, in a no-passing zone. The driver of the Ford, a thirty-eight-year-old foreigner, was cited for making an illegal pass and faces a fine of up to $439 (10,000 Czech crowns) as well as a driving ban of up to one year.
While no one was injured and no vehicles were damaged, the event had all of the ingredients for a severe accident. There is no shortage of stories where a train hits a truck and gets derailed or where the truck explodes in a fireball or gets tossed like it’s nothing. Likewise, there are plenty of examples of drivers making illegal passes and getting served a healthy dose of instant karma.
