Newly published police footage shows social media influencer David Karpov, known as DancingMoto, being knocked from his motorcycle during a high-speed pursuit before a second patrol vehicle drives over him. The footage raises serious questions about police tactics during the dramatic chase.
David Karpov, the motorcycle influencer known online as DancingMoto, was knocked from his bike and subsequently run over by a police patrol vehicle during a high-speed pursuit in Georgia, USA. The incident happened on 5 October 2025, but a video published by Midwest Safety on 22 October 2026 brings together multiple police camera angles, showing how the 19-year-old rider ended up seriously injured beneath a patrol car.
Police pursuit reaches speeds exceeding 100mph
The dramatic footage, published on YouTube by Midwest Safety under the title Famous Influencer Records His Police Chase, shows officers pursuing Karpov along rain-soaked roads in northeastern Georgia.
Karpov, who had built a substantial social media following through motorcycle content and dancing videos, was riding a sports motorcycle when the pursuit developed.
According to officers heard in the recording, the chase had already involved police in neighbouring North Carolina before continuing into Georgia.
Police radio communications describe speeds climbing through 70mph and 90mph before exceeding 100mph, despite heavy rain and other traffic using the road.
The recording also captures Karpov passing vehicles and continuing to ride after police attempted to stop him.
However, it is the final moments of the pursuit, rather than the speeds alone, that make the footage particularly disturbing.
Police vehicles box in motorcycle before collision
As the pursuit continues, officers attempt to contain Karpov between patrol vehicles.
The footage shows a police SUV moving alongside the motorcycle, with another vehicle ahead and civilian traffic nearby.
With limited room to manoeuvre, Karpov’s motorcycle comes into contact with a patrol vehicle and he is thrown onto the wet road.
The footage appears to show the police vehicle moving towards the motorcycle immediately before Karpov loses control.
He then slides along the road surface, separated from his bike.
What happens next is captured from additional police camera angles.
Second patrol vehicle drives over fallen rider
As Karpov slides towards the roadside, another police vehicle approaches the collision scene.
The footage shows that vehicle moving towards the right-hand side of the carriageway, into the area where Karpov has fallen.
The patrol vehicle then strikes him, with Karpov ending up beneath its front section.
The sequence raises an obvious and serious question: could the second collision have been avoided?
The images clearly establish that Karpov was struck by the second vehicle. However, they do not independently establish whether its driver saw him in time, could reasonably have avoided him or deliberately directed the vehicle towards him.
According to Midwest Safety’s account of the incident reports, Deputy Michael Shedd said he had not initially realised Karpov was underneath his patrol vehicle because the rider was not visible from his driving position.
The collision was described as unintentional in the officers’ accounts presented in the video.
Those explanations are important, but they do not by themselves settle questions about the safety of the manoeuvres or the decisions immediately preceding the collision.
Injured influencer tells officers he cannot move his back
Following the collision, police body-camera footage shows officers approaching Karpov as he lies injured beside the road.
He repeatedly complains of back pain and difficulty breathing.
In one exchange, an officer asks why he had fled.
Karpov explains that his driving licence was suspended.
Officers instruct him to remain still because of the possibility of a spinal injury, while emergency medical assistance is requested.
The footage also records police discussing the sequence of events, including how the motorcycle made contact with a patrol vehicle before Karpov ended up under another.
The severity of the collision becomes apparent as emergency responders prepare to move him.
Karpov hospitalised with serious injuries
Initial reports following the October 2025 incident described Karpov’s condition as critical, with potentially life-threatening injuries.
In a subsequent social media statement reproduced by Midwest Safety, Karpov said he spent two days in intensive care followed by another two days under cardiac observation.
He also reported that he was arrested after leaving hospital and subsequently released on bond.
His subsequent return to social media demonstrates that he survived the collision, although the full extent of any longer-term physical consequences has not been independently established.
What charges did David Karpov face?
The Rabun County Sheriff’s Office arrest summary, dated 13 October 2025, confirms that David Maximivich Karpov, then aged 19, was arrested on 8 October.
The official record lists eight alleged offences:
- Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Operating an unregistered vehicle or one without the required current registration
- Failure to maintain insurance
- Removing or affixing a licence plate with intent to conceal or misrepresent identity
- Driving while his licence was suspended or revoked
- Reckless driving
- Passing in a no-passing zone
The arrest record confirms the allegations recorded by police. It does not establish that Karpov was convicted of those offences.
Fish 4 News has not independently confirmed the final outcome of the criminal proceedings.
Police tactics also face questions
There are two separate issues arising from the footage.
The first concerns Karpov’s decision to flee police at high speed, in heavy rain and among other road users.
The second concerns how officers responded, particularly the attempt to box in a motorcycle and the subsequent collision involving a fallen rider.
Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable in collisions with larger vehicles, and the footage demonstrates how quickly a pursuit can result in catastrophic injuries.
Carscoops reported on the incident in October 2025, describing the motorcycle being knocked over during the containment attempt and a patrol vehicle subsequently moving into the rider’s path.
The newly published Midwest Safety presentation gives viewers further opportunity to examine the sequence from multiple perspectives.
Neither the fact that Karpov was fleeing police nor the severity of his alleged driving offences automatically resolves whether every police manoeuvre was necessary or proportionate.
Equally, footage showing a vehicle strike a fallen rider does not, without further evidence, prove that an officer intended to cause injury.
No independently verified disciplinary finding, criminal charge against an officer or final official determination concerning the second collision has been established by Fish 4 News.
Video brings renewed attention to 2025 incident
The video published on 22 October 2026 places renewed attention on a police pursuit that first made headlines a year earlier.
While some footage was circulated in October 2025, the Midwest Safety presentation combines recordings and commentary that allow the critical moments to be examined in more detail.
The central facts are clear: Karpov fled from police, officers attempted to stop him, his motorcycle collided with a patrol vehicle, and a second vehicle subsequently struck him while he was on the road.
Questions surrounding the judgement exercised during the pursuit remain distinct from the criminal allegations against Karpov.
The footage is a stark illustration of the risks associated with high-speed police pursuits and the potentially devastating consequences when motorcycles and patrol vehicles collide.
Sources
- Rabun County Sheriff’s Office arrest summary (13 October 2025)
- Carscoops coverage (October 2025)
- Midwest Safety police footage (22 October 2026)
Watch: Famous Influencer Records His Police Chase
Viewer discretion advised: The video contains footage of a serious road traffic collision, a person being struck by a vehicle and the immediate aftermath of significant injuries.
Watch the video directly on YouTube
Video credit: Midwest Safety, published 22 October 2026.
