Stealing a car is a bad, risky idea. Make that a conspicuous car like a Chevrolet Corvette, and things get comical. Still, one couple tried running from the police in a daring high-speed chase behind the wheel of a stolen Corvette. It didn’t just end badly, it ended with the pursuing cops saving the driver’s life with minutes to spare. 

The driver of the stolen Corvette was bleeding out when police saved his life following the chase

DeQuinton Pye was out for a drive in a Chevrolet Corvette when police pulled him over. Pye’s gray Corvette matched the description of a recent car theft, prompting the stop. At first, Pye went along with the cops. When the word “stolen” came up, though, it was a different story entirely. Pye floored it, leading police on a high-speed chase. 

Granted, a Chevrolet Corvette is a better choice of getaway car than, say, a Hyundai Sonata. After all, the latest eighth-generation Corvette Stingray can accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. And that base-model ‘Vette will keep pulling up to around 194 mph. It won’t remove stationary poles from your path, though.

Pye smashed into a pole with a power line assembly. The hit destroyed a transformer and brought the high-speed police chase to a violent end. As with any healthy relationship, Pye’s companion took the opportunity to, well, run like hell. The Corvette’s passenger, Dementa Bell, tried running away from the wreck. She didn’t make it far, though. The pursuing cops quickly caught her and put her in handcuffs.

Pye, however, wasn’t in any condition to try running after the crash. The impact severed his femoral artery, leaving him with only a few minutes before he bled out into the interior of the Kentucky-built sports car. Fortunately for Pye, one of the police officers from the high-speed chase had a tourniquet on hand.

While not a perfect solution, a tourniquet can stop a life-threatening limb bleed by restricting blood flow. It’s a common tactic used by first responders and military personnel to save lives. Of course, his nasty, potentially deadly bleed didn’t mean that Pye was out of trouble- far from it.

After they had saved his life, the officers on the scene searched Pye’s wounded and ill-gotten wheels. They found a gun. Now, while it’s legal to transport a firearm in your car in Louisiana, it’s send-you-straight-to-the-slammer illegal to have one in a stolen car and in violation of a protective order. 

Pye and Bell will likely have some choice words for each other following the high-speed chase and doomed attempt to lose the police. They’ll have to wait, though. Pye is looking at some serious charges for the car theft, firearm, and chase.