- Peter McCauley, 25, was arrested in the early hours of Thanksgiving after his Tesla clocked speeds of almost 120 mph on the outskirts of Washington DC
- McCauley ran a red light and crashed into a Honda, injuring his female passenger, 28: the 22-year-old driver of the Honda also suffered minor injuries
- McCauley was arrested by Virginia state troopers who discovered he was an off-duty police officer: his police powers revoked
An off-duty Washington DC police officer has been arrested after leading Virginia state troopers on a 120 mph chase that only ended when he crashed into another car and spun onto the road.
Peter McCauley, 25, was seen driving his Tesla late Wednesday night with a 28-year-old female passenger at 95mph in a 55mph zone.
Troopers tried to pull him over, but McCauley sped away, heading south on Interstate 395.
McCauley, who joined the Metropolitan Police in 2020, took an exit in Alexandria to try to flee the troopers, reaching speeds of 120 mph.
He ran a red light and crashed into a Honda, causing both cars to spin.
The moment of the collision is captured on surveillance cameras as the Tesla runs a red light and crashes into a Honda at the intersection
The Tesla starts to spin and the Honda is pushed off the road
Peter McCauley, 25, is seen in the early hours of Thanksgiving after being arrested for an off-duty high-speed chase
The 22-year-old driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital, as was McCauley’s passenger.
McCauley was arrested in the early hours of Thanksgiving and has been stripped of his police powers.
“On Thursday, November 23, 2023, the Metropolitan Police Department was notified by Virginia State Police that they had arrested Officer Peter McCauley after he was involved in a traffic collision resulting in injuries,” the department said.
“McCauley was off duty and in a personally owned vehicle at the time of the crash.”
They said McCauley is now under investigation.
“The MPD Internal Affairs Division responded and immediately revoked the officer’s police powers and placed him on no-contact status,” they said.
“The incident is under investigation by the MPD Internal Affairs Division.”
The Tesla is spun wildly, with the headlights aimed over the bridge
The Tesla is seen on the bridge, turned the wrong way and its lights pointed the wrong way
They confirmed that he joined the force in June 2020.
McCauley’s arrest came less than two weeks after another officer was arrested for driving under the influence and resisting arrest.
John Bewley was arrested on November 11 after showing up at the scene of a DUI investigation involving his girlfriend
Bewley was off duty at the time but drove to the scene in a patrol car.
Bewley tried to persuade his girlfriend to come with him, but the police smelled alcohol on Bewley’s breath and arrested him as well.