Chile: Armed robbery attempt in Quilicura ends as driver escapes highway hold-up

A motorist in Chile has escaped an apparent armed highway ambush after driving through one of the suspects in a desperate bid to flee, dramatic video shows.

Footage circulating online captures the moment a vehicle ahead suddenly stops to block the road, prompting armed men with their faces partially covered to exit and approach the targeted car.

Rather than braking, the driver accelerates through a narrow gap between the vehicles, striking one of the alleged assailants as the pair inside attempt to escape.

Seconds before the confrontation, a woman inside the targeted vehicle is heard remarking on safety concerns about the area.

“They say this area is kind of dangerous.”

As the situation escalates, she can be heard reacting to the collision before telling the driver: “You were right,” suggesting the pair suspected an imminent ambush.

After clearing the immediate threat, the driver is heard attempting to steady his breathing while the pair discuss stopping further down the motorway once they reach what they believe is a safer location.

The incident occurred on Saturday in Quilicura, a district of Chile’s capital Santiago, as the couple approached the Vespucio Norte motorway from Route 5.

Speaking to a Chilean radio station, the driver said he had grown suspicious of the vehicle ahead moments before the attempted hold-up, Daily Mail reported.

“I’d picked up on the fact there were several people inside and they were going fast.

“I’d accelerated a bit to put some distance between us when I first saw it behind me, and it accelerated even more and got in front of me.

“I reckon I must have been going between 50mph and 60mph when I ran the guy over.”

He said his decision to drive forward was driven purely by self-preservation.

“When I saw one of them getting out holding a weapon, my only intention was to escape that situation.

“My brother had suffered an identical hold-up in a nearby area, so I was mentally prepared for a similar situation.

“They were seconds, but they felt like a lifetime. I clearly saw the weapon and looked for a way out.”

Police later told the motorist the suspected offenders’ Audi had been found abandoned nearby. Authorities believe five men linked to that vehicle may also have been involved in an attempted shop robbery in the area earlier that day.

Investigators indicated the man struck by the fleeing vehicle was not believed to have been seriously injured.

Residents say so-called “encerronas” highway ambush robberies are a recurring problem in the district, occurring during both daylight hours and at night.

Chile’s security minister, Luis Cordero, said authorities were examining ways to strengthen enforcement against what he described as violent crimes.

Legal analyst Marcelo Abujiar said it was unlikely the driver would face prosecution.

“Given that the place where this incident occurred is well-known for these so-called encerronas, the reaction of this motorist could be justified as a self-defence mechanism.”