It was a fast and intense game of cats and mice, but Czech police finally found a driver of a “phantom” racing car repeatedly on the country’s highways.
Police were first warned about the strange incident six years ago in a red one-style racing car driving illegally on public roads. However, all efforts to arrest the unidentified driver of the vehicle was fruitless. Until now.
At 8:15am local time, police were warned of a racing car seen at a gas station near Dobziz, about 25 miles southwest of Prague.
“Two minutes after the initial report, another caller reported that the formula car was faster along the D4 Highway towards Psivlam,” Michaela Lichtravanaka, a spokesman for the town further south, Czech police and a spokesman for the Central Bohemian region, said in a press release.
Several police patrols and helicopters were quickly dispatched, and within 15 minutes the driver was arrested in the village of Buku, about 11 miles from where it was first discovered.
The 51-year-old man who tested negative for both drinks and drugs was identified behind the wheel, although his identity has not been disclosed. He was taken to the police station for questioning but declined to comment, police said.
Previous attempts to arrest the driver have failed. The high-speed vehicle first called the police attention in 2019 when it received video footage of it driving on the D4 highway connecting Prague and the South Bohemia region. Three years later, they recognized more footage of the racing car. This time, we’ll be on the expressway in central Bohemia. Images from the speed camera showed the driver wearing a helmet, making it impossible to identify him.
It is illegal to drive such vehicles on public roads in the Czech Republic. A police press release stated, “This type of racing car is not legally permitted to be driven on the road as it does not meet legal technical requirements. Formula cars have sharp edges and do not have lights, signal lights, license plates or other important safety features.
The videos shared on their YouTube channel and on Instagram accounts where Czech media is identified as belonging to the driver and his son, show the moment of arrest. The vehicle was seen towing in the courtyard of the house, and in Czech “There are police everywhere!”
The driver refuses to leave and claims that police are trespassing on private property. Officers have heard they say they are there because the drivers are suspected of breaking the law.
The driver then calls the police and argues with officers on the scene. He is being told by officers over the phone to follow the police on the scene, but he continues to resist. This standoff lasts almost ten minutes until the driver is finally out and escorted.
The racing car was called the Ferrari by its owner, but commentators online identified it as the Dalala GP racing vehicle.
The police now hand the lawsuit to the administrative agency that decides the fine. The attack will include a fine of 5,000-10,000 Czech korna ($240-480) and a six-month driving ban per year.
