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Speeding Driver Crashes Maserati Levante Into Overpass During Highway Pursuit

Earlier this week, an officer working for the California Highway Patrol’s Oakland unit unsuccessfully attempted to pull over a 32-year-old man driving a white Maserati Levante SUV. The man refused to stop and proceeded to accelerate to over 100 mph (161 kph), thus initiating a high-speed pursuit with the CHP.
Maserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpass 6 photos
Photo: CHP Oakland/Instagram
Maserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpassMaserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpassMaserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpassMaserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpassMaserati Levante crashes into the underside of an overpass
The chase didn’t last long, and authorities posted images on Instagram showing the aftermath of a violent collision between the Levante and the underside of a nearby overpass on 580 westbound.

“Taking the term ‘flying home’ a bit too far,” said the CHP, before detailing exactly what happened. Whether this was an appropriate use of humor given the seriousness of the crash, we’ll let you decide. The driver of the luxury SUV thankfully survived the impact, despite the roof being partially caved in.

Technically, we can’t be sure exactly how fast the Italian SUV was going when it hit that embankment, but it does seem as though the driver’s side took less of a hit than the rest of the vehicle.

“It was a short-lived pursuit,” said Oakland CHP spokesperson, Officer David Arias. “He didn’t make it far before he exited and as soon as he exited, instead of going straight, he veered left, went off the ramp and then went up the embankment and collided with the underside of the freeway.”

“It’s unbelievable that he didn’t die,” added Arias. “It’s crazy that he lived.”

Afterwards, the driver was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital for “a complaint of pain.” He now faces reckless evading charges, which are applicable when an individual attempts to evade the police in a vehicle while having a willful disregard for the safety of people and/or property. It’s punishable by up to three years in jail.

Interestingly enough, the man wasn’t actually the owner of the Maserati. According to SFGate, the SUV is owned by the driver’s girlfriend, who probably isn’t all too happy right now.

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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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