Dubai police were last week caught in what could be the most dangerous chase similar to that shown in the popular American TV programme when they tailed a four-wheel car at high speed before it caught fire and threatened the busy Khawaneej street with disaster. The saga ended when the two young Emiratis in the car escaped unhurt and told the police it was a “devilish whim.”

The ordeal began when a traffic police patrol spotted the car travelling at a very high speed in Warqa area and heading for Khawaneej street on Thursday noon, a day before the UAE marked 40 years of its union.

Instead of stopping, the driver of that car sped up further, prompting more police patrols to chase him. Some of them tried to block his way but he pressed on with his risky adventure, sparking police fears about the safety of road users.

“The driver nearly hit some pedestrians as he push on…he then entered the wrong direction on Khawaneej street…at that time the car front caught fire but he was undeterred and continued driving without any consideration to the safety and lives of the road users in the area,” Emirat Alyoum daily said, quoting Major General Mohammed Al Zafin, Dubai’s traffic police director.

“Finally the car stopped after it broke down because of the fire…the driver and his friend were engulfed with fire but managed to jump out…they were then pulled away by the surrounding police men.”

Zafin said that when the man was asked by police why he had done this, he replied that it was just a “devilish whim and youth madness.”

“They also said that they just wanted to try to the car after it was equipped with new systems to increase its speed and turn it into a racing vehicle.”