Watch: Man Steals John Deere Tractor, Takes Cops on Wild Chase in North Carolina
When one thinks of a police chase following a car theft incident, an image of a sports car speeding through the streets might come to mind. However, sometimes these chases are of an unusual nature, such as the one with a drunk, passed-out Amish driver of a horse and buggy. Last week, there was another strange one. A man stole a John Deere farm tractor — and took cops on a wild chase in Boone, North Carolina. Watch the bizarre video.
Police get calls about a John Deere farm tractor driving erratically in a parking lot
On January 19, 2023, the Boone Police Department in North Carolina received multiple calls about a John Deere farm tractor driving erratically in a parking lot. The tractor, driven by Ronnie Hicks, a 43-year-old man, wreaked havoc, including crashing into cars. Hicks also attempted to hit pedestrians with the tractor, as detailed by The Guardian.
Andy Le Beau, the Chief of Police for the North Carolina town, described the incident in a Facebook post. He wrote, “What a day… So, many of you have heard, or have seen the videos, that we got in a pursuit with a tractor. The stolen tractor was being operated by a person who we are very familiar with, Mr. Ronnie Hicks. We received a call about the tractor being driven erratically in a parking lot trying to hit pedestrians and did in fact hit a vehicle off 421 on the east side of town. He actually hit several vehicles, a dumpster, and a church. We are still trying to sort it all out.”
Police chase the farm tractor through Boone, North Carolina — with great difficulty
You might think that a John Deere farm tractor moving at only 20 mph wouldn’t be much of a challenge to the police in North Carolina. However, the ensuing chase presented a host of challenges.
During the chase, Hicks drove toward oncoming traffic. He also rammed into a Boone police car. The cops also tried to stop the tractor by laying spike sticks in the road, but they were not effective. Additionally, while the video below doesn’t capture the most dangerous aspects of the chase, there is an exciting moment in which an unmarked Ram pickup truck speeds in front of the tractor. And yes, pun intended, “Ram” overtakes the “Deere.”
After Hicks turned onto the 421 highway, police were concerned that he would head to a nearby elementary school. So, they used more aggressive measures to stop him and his farm tractor before he got there. When the tractor reached an isolated section, a Boone police officer shot the tires.
However, like The Terminator, it just kept going, seemingly indestructible. The John Deere tractor more than lived up to its reputation for durability. Despite driving without a front tire, it continued to chug along. However, after Hicks turned onto a private drive, he ran out of road — and the chase came to an end.
Hicks jumps out of the John Deere tractor with a knife — and then the cops taser him
The ordeal didn’t stop there, though. With no more road to drive the John Deere farm tractor, Hicks jumped off it, wielding a knife. A police officer then stopped Hicks in his tracks with a taser. With the tractor thief immobilized, the Boone police took him into custody. Fortunately, despite the harrowing chase, there were no reported injuries.
As indicated in the above statement from Chief Le Beau, this isn’t the first time that Hicks had a run-in with the police in the North Carolina town. Once apprehended, the cops arrested him on charges of driving while impaired and reckless driving.
The moral of the story is don’t drive drunk — even if it’s with a slow-moving John Deere farm tractor.
