LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KARK) – Officials with Arkansas State Police say a trooper has retired after he allegedly performed a PIT maneuver on a car “in error” following a pursuit on Interstate 40 in St. Francis County.
ASP officials confirmed that the trooper was performing a Tactile Vehicle Intervention — sometimes referred to as a TVI, a precision immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver — during a pursuit on Sunday, Sept. 10, around 8:30 p.m.
Authorities said the trooper had been pursuing two vehicles reportedly traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph. One of the two vehicles being pursued was a white four-door sedan. In the video released by Arkansas State Police seen above, the trooper performed a PIT maneuver on a white sedan — but, according to authorities, it was not one of the suspect vehicles.
Neither the driver nor a passenger in the car struck by the trooper said they were injured. Both declined medical treatment at the scene.
TVIs and PIT maneuvers are used by law enforcement to stop suspects during pursuits. In a TVI or PIT, an officer will strike the rear quarter panel of a fleeing vehicle with the front of their own vehicle in order to lose control and stop.
ASP officials said they immediately began an internal investigation into the crash. The trooper involved in the crash, Cpl. Thomas Hubbard, has not been on duty since the incident and has submitted his letter of retirement.
Additional details weren’t immediately available, but Nexstar’s KARK is working to gather more details.