Video: Police yank down driver's pants during arrest after wild 20 km highway chase

The police released dashcam video footage of a wild pursuit where officers chased a suspect on the A16 as he weaved frantically through traffic trying to evade them. He eventually crashed into a drainage ditch, and jumped out of his hatchback into the water before a police officer yanked down the suspect's pants to tangle him up. Drugs were found in the man's vehicle when it was finally searched.

The 20-kilometer chase happened on March 15, when a patrol spotted an unspecified "suspicious situation" in the southbound lanes in Moerdijk. The suspect, driving a black Ford Puma, had just crossed the border from Zuid-Holland into Noord-Brabant.

The officers caught up to him, held behind him for a brief moment, and then pulled in front of him. They gave a signal ordering the man to follow them to a safe location to pull over.

The video shows the suspect initially used the right turn signal, but then pulled into the left lane and tried to speed up around the police. He narrowly missed colliding with two other vehicles in the process.

The police officers gave chase as the Puma swerved from the left guard rail back to the exit lane on the right side, cutting across three lanes of traffic. He then sped off on the shoulder for a period, as more rapid intervention police vehicles were sent to the scene.

The police used their Audi A6 Avant models with a powerful 3.0-liter diesel engine that generates 286 peak horsepower (210 kilowatts). The cars are capable of a top speed of 250 kilometres per hour.

The four police vehicles played a game of cat-and-mouse with the suspect, until he found a grassy area where an escape looked possible. From the driver's perspective, it may have been difficult to see the ditch, which was the only obstacle preventing the driver from crossing from the A16 to the Weerdstraat, a one-lane local road in Breda.

After he crashed into the watery ditch, the suspect leaped out of his car and scampered up the bank when a police officer grabbed him by his belt. As the suspect ran up to the Weerdstraat, his pants were yanked down. Another officer grabbed him around the neck and shoulders and pulled him to the ground.

Two more officers joined in, and four man ran from the shoulder into the water and up to the scene. They brought the suspect under control and took him into custody.

Police said they found dugs in the vehicle. He was accused of drug dealing and transporting charges, resisting arrest, and intentionally driving recklessly in a manner than can pose a threat to others.

All told, the chase ended after roughly 20.3 kilometers. Police said they use the Audi A6 Avant primarily on highways and outside of built-up areas. "The police use it to monitor highways, deal with traffic accidents and carry out, for example, pursuits, emergency transports, traffic controls and actions with partners," police stated on their website.