“He either wanted to hit me or someone else”: The heroic North Carolina cop turns his cruiser sideways to prevent the driver, who is fleeing the police, from speeding in the wrong direction on the freeway
- Cody Thao, 28, a state highway patrol officer, said he acted on instinct while in the heat of the moment
- Suspect Joshua Bibey, 26, was arrested and charged with drunk driving after the accident
- Thao strategically positioned his car so that it had more chance of getting hit in the back than in the front
- Thao’s brave act comes less than a year after he joined the force from a job at a local tractor supply store
- “I’ve always had a servant heart and always wanted to help people,” he said
A North Carolina State Highway Patrol soldier heroically moved his squad car to stop a wrong-way driver from running over others on a local freeway.
Joshua Bibey, who was later charged with a DWI, fled from police at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour through Johnson County and Raleigh after refusing to be stopped in April.
Dashcam shows that Bibey was exiting onto Interstate-40 – driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic – when he encountered Trooper Cody Thao.
Realizing he had a split second to stop the suspected drunk driver and protect other motorists, Thao, 28, turned his car and blocked the road. Bibey crashed into the Trooper at 50 mph.
“He was either trying to meet me or someone else coming east on I-40,” Thao told WRAL.
“I’ve always had a servant’s heart and always wanted to help people,” Thao added, adding that he quit his job at a tractor supply to become a state trooper almost a year ago.
Dashcam footage of North Carolina State Highway Patrol officer Cody Thao shows the moment the officer encountered the drunk driver’s car (pictured) in April
Officer Cody Thao, 28, has been a cop with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for just seven months after quitting his job at Tractor Supply
Thao’s squad car was badly damaged on the sides where the rear passengers sat. The officer said he didn’t think twice about intentionally getting in the way of a car in the middle of a high-speed pursuit
The car’s right-hand passenger door was ripped into pieces after the crash
Thao’s decision to take the accident and risk his life prevented the suspected drunk driver from potentially harming other drivers on the road, said State Highway Patrol commander Col. Freddy L. Johnson.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Trooper Thao and his quick decision to stop the wrong-way driver. His actions undoubtedly saved lives,” Johnson said.
Joshua Bibey, 26, was driving under the influence when he crashed into Thao’s squad car in April. He had fled police at the time of the incident and was subsequently charged with drunk driving
After the incident, Thao revealed cops aren’t usually trained to respond to someone being followed on the wrong side of the freeway, so he had “no choice” but to stop the drunk driver before anything worse happened.
The soldier emerged from the collision unharmed. Bibey’s car only hit the rear of the squad car after Thao strategically rotated it to reduce his chances of being hit himself.
“I realize how lucky I am to have escaped completely unscathed – not a single scratch on me – and that is just a testament to God and His mercy,” Thao said.
“His willingness to put himself at risk is representative of the lifesaving work our members do every day,” Johnson added. “Putting others before ourselves is not just a saying among law enforcement, it’s a reality of what we do to improve the communities we serve.”
Thao’s squad car tires also took a hit as the rear right end is flat from the incident
“I’ve always had a servant’s heart, and I’ve always wanted to help people,” Thao said, pointing out his reason for joining the force
Bibey, who lives in Raleigh, was formally charged with a DWI after his incarceration. After the crash, he was taken to WakeMed for evaluation.
The accident he caused is far from the first time he has gotten in trouble with the law.
Most of the charges against Bibbey date back to 2011 and relate to drug possession.
He was arrested several times for possession of cocaine. In March he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and with resisting arrest and escape in a motor vehicle.