It’s been plastered on Facebook – that video clip of a late-model Toyota Tacoma dodging a police roadblock and ramping up an embankment, grabbing enough hang time to make the Duke Boys proud. Well, we’ve cut through the social media hype and found the original video. This KSLA news report from Webster Parish, Louisiana shows the jump and full aftermath.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28. Kevonte Dekorey Austin, an 18-year-old escaped work-release participant was the passenger in the sixth-generation Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road. A Webster Sherriff deputy pulled the Tacoma over for speeding. The driver was removed from the truck and was being questioned by the deputy when Austin slid behind the wheel and drove away.

The Sheriff’s department pursued Austin and the truck, with speeds reaching 115 mph. The chase came to a dramatic end when Austin hit a spike strip, narrowly missing police vehicles that blocked the roadway. The speeding truck then drove into a ditch before ramping over an embankment. The truck flew airborne for several yards and landed onto a parked Toyota Corolla. The Corolla was occupied by Barbara Harlon, who was remarkably unhurt.

The same couldn’t be said for the Tacoma and Corolla, however. The four-door car suffered a caved-in roof, while the Tacoma’s grille, bumper, and radiator were completely destroyed, along with its front suspension. All four tires suffered puncture holes from the spike strip.

The Tacoma was reported stolen, so both Austin and the truck’s original driver were taken into custody. Austin was last seen on February 8 leaving Halco Productions in Shreveport where he was employed on a work-release program. Fittingly enough, Austin was in jail for a probation violation and… car theft.

Something tells me Austin won’t be eligible for work-release anytime soon.

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