Audi has been making waves in the rally world, but this incident in Seattle might have taken things a little too far. The driver of what appeared to be a Q5 jumped a partially raised bridge while trying to escape police—a nightmare for law enforcement, but an undeniably wild spectacle for car enthusiasts.
According to the Seattle Police Department, officers attempted to pull the driver over for a stolen license plate near 10th Avenue East and East Boston Street. Instead of stopping, the crossover SUV tore through residential streets before reaching Eastlake Avenue East by the University Bridge. Even as the bridge was lowering, the driver refused to slow down—launching the Q5 across and hitting the ground with a hard impact on landing.
A Wild Escape
What points to this being a facelifted first-generation Audi Q5 from the 2010s are the details. Its size clearly sets it apart from the smaller Q3, though at first glance it could be confused with a Q7. The key giveaways are in the taillight design and the placement of the fog lights—on the Q5, they sit within the lower air inlets, while on the Q7, they’re mounted closer to the ground.
The Audi Q5—which rivals the likes of the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC—may be a luxury crossover for small families, but it was never built for high-flying stunts. In this case, desperation pushed the driver to attempt the impossible in a bid to escape the police.
Officers on duty had expected the chase to end at the raised bridge, with one radioing, “The bridge is up. I’m going to have him stop here.” Instead, they were left stunned as the vehicle launched across, prompting the officer to add, “He actually made the jump over the bridge.”…