Police Dashcam Catches Hitchhiker Jumping Out Of Vehicle, Fleeing From Officer On Foot 'Like Forrest Gump'
Police dashcam footage often proves that the wildest things can happen during the most routine traffics stops.
In an exclusive recap of On Patrol: Live obtained by OK!, an officer in Pottsville, Arkansas, finds himself confused after an alleged hitchhiker rushes out of a vehicle and takes off on foot.
The clip begins with a cop pulling over a white Chevy Impala for a seemingly minor traffic violation when a passenger in the car suddenly gets out, tosses a backpack, "channels his inner Forrest Gump," according to series host Deputy Curtis Wilson, and takes off running.
Now, forced to divert his plans from issuing a traffic ticket to catching a potential suspect, the officer radios for backup as he questions the driver of the vehicle.
The woman insists she picked him up after she saw him walking on the road on her way to church and that she had no idea who he was or why he ran away. Although the police officer doesn't immediately believe her, he sends a basic description of the fleeing man to authorities before going to check the abandoned bag.
The contents did not make the odd situation any less puzzling. While searching the backpack, the officer finds chips, a plastic bag with what appears to be a sandwich in it, a flashlight, two power cords and toiletries. There are no contraband or weapons in sight.
Why the passenger fled the scene without his backpack remains a mystery, but Deputy Wilson jokingly quotes a familiar line from Forrest Gump to explain, "Sometimes you gotta put the past behind you, before you can move on."
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