South Florida saw its fair share of chases and police pursuits in 2023, as suspects who thought they could outrun the law gave it their best shot.
NBC6's Chopper 6 was in the air for many of them and was able to showcase the dangers of people trying to flee from police.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HERE
Here's a look at some of the more memorable chases of 2023.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
Chopper 6 was over an intense high-speed chase back in April that started in North Miami Beach and ended up in Broward.
Footage showed Broward Sheriff's Office deputies, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and other law enforcement agencies chasing a stolen two-door Lexus northbound on the Florida's Turnpike in Broward and into Palm Beach before it came back into Broward.
Local
The Lexus exited the Turnpike and was seen weaving in and out of traffic on roadways, even going the wrong way down a busy street.
At one point, the Lexus stopped on a ramp and a suspect who was in the passenger seat got out and approached another car armed with what appeared to be a rifle.
After he couldn't get into the other car, he got back in the Lexus, which continued to flee.
Eventually, the Lexus stopped on Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac, where one of the suspects carjacked another vehicle, a four-door Tesla, at gunpoint, as the driver backed away with his hands in the air.
The other suspect fled on foot as the Tesla reversed before it crashed into another car, then tried to speed away but rammed head-on into a law enforcement truck. The second suspect then got out of the Tesla and initially laid on the ground as if to surrender before he got up and also fled on foot.
One suspect jumped a fence and was seen swimming across a canal to flee from authorities, who swarmed the area.
Two suspects were eventually captured and charged with armed carjacking, attempted armed carjacking and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Later in April, a chase ensued after a pair of luxury vehicles were stolen from a family's home in Kendall.
The chase began after a red Mercedes G-Wagon and a black Rolls Royce SUV were stolen from the home, and family members went after the luxury cars while calling police.
Both vehicles made their way into Broward at a high rate of speed, and the G-Wagon eventually stopped in a neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale where the driver was taken into custody by authorities after trying to flee on foot.
The two suspects who stole the Rolls ditched the car.
In one of those "Only in Florida" moments in May, a suspect stole a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue engine and led authorities on a chase that spanned three counties.
The fire truck was stolen out of Station 32 in North Miami Beach as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was conducting a training exercise, Miami-Dade Police officials said.
Video from Only in Dade showed a portion of the pursuit, which went through Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties with the Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies including Opa-locka Police and the Broward Sheriff's Office joining in.
At some point, the chase continued on Interstate 95 and ended when the suspect surrendered on the Florida's Turnpike northbound near Boynton Beach Boulevard, bringing traffic to a standstill.
In September, authorities were involved in a high-speed chase on the Florida's Turnpike and then the Dolphin Expressway during a Friday rush hour.
Footage showed multiple officers including Miami-Dade Police pursuing a white Volkswagen Jetta that eventually crashed into another vehicle and a roadway sign on the Dolphin Expressway eastbound near 22nd Avenue.
Officers surrounded the car and after a few moments, the driver came out and surrendered to police. Footage also showed a second suspect in custody at the scene.
Authorities later released bodycam footage of the intense takedown.
There was another wild chase in November after authorities said four shoplifting suspects led officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen U-Haul van in Miami-Dade.
Police said the group stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Kohl's in Homestead and used the U-Haul as a getaway vehicle.
Homestead Police responded but the driver of the U-Haul rammed two police vehicles then sped off and eventually got on the northbound lanes of the Florida's Turnpike.
FHP officials said the van reached speeds of up to 100 mph and dangerously changed lanes, following other vehicles too close.
The chase ended when FHP troopers were able to use three P.I.T. maneuvers on the van, sending it into the side wall of an overpass near Northwest 106th Street.
Footage from Chopper 6 showed troopers scrambling to the ledge of the overpass while a suspect dangled from the wall trying to flee. A swarm of troopers rushed to the ledge to bring him to safety and took him into custody, along with the three other suspects.
FHP later released dashcam footage of the P.I.T. maneuvers.
During yet another wild day in November, there were two separate South Florida chases within a couple hours of each other.
In the first, an aerial police pursuit ended in a foot chase in Broward after officers spotted a vehicle wanted in connection with an aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer in Miami.
Officers tried to stop the car but the driver refused to stop, and the chase ensued. Footage showed the suspect speeding northbound on Interstate 95 in Broward in a silver SUV.
The SUV exited the highway at one point and was driving on side streets speeding in and out of traffic. The suspect eventually parked the SUV at a shopping plaza off West Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach and took off running into a neighborhood but was taken into custody.
A short time later, authorities were involved in a pursuit of a red Corvette that had been reported stolen.
Footage showed officers pursuing the Corvette into a neighborhood near Hallandale Beach and West Park.
Authorities eventually moved in and stopped the Corvette and surrounded it. A man who was driving and a female passenger were taken into custody at gunpoint.
