A teenager was chased by police after travelling to Romania and stealing a car so he could find Dracula and be turned into a vampire.
The 19-year-old from Switzerland travelled to the city of Fagaras in Transylvania last week, which is about 170 miles from the Hoia-Baciu forest where he had planned to meet Dracula on Halloween, according to local media.
But the teenager had run out of money by the time he made it to Fagaras, so he broke into a car in the morning of October 20 and drove off towards his destination.
Police raced after him once the car theft was reported by the owner and during the chase, the Swiss man hit five other cars and injured three people.
‘I wanted to go to the Hoia-Baciu forest, in search of my great-great-grandfather, Count Dracula, Vlad Tepes. I hope he can turn me into a vampire. All my life I’ve dreamed of this and now I’m here,’ the teenager reportedly told investigators.
He appeared to be dressed up as vampire slayer and Dracula’s arch-nemesis Van Helsing, including his signature hat and long coat, for his trip.
A witness told local media that the teenager zigzagged through traffic at high speeds.
‘He hit my right door and threw me into the curb. My legs were shaking a bit, [but] I didn’t suffer anything,’ the driver said.
The Swiss man eventually abandoned the car and fled on foot, but was quickly caught by police.
Dash cam footage shows the police chase, with several officers on foot as well as three police vehicles speeding after the fleeing suspect.
A police spokeswoman said that the 19-year-old refused to stop for police and instead sped of, before he hit one car in a roundabout and another four during a collision near a fuel station.
The three people injured during the collisions with the Swiss man – two women and a man – were taken to hospital for treatment.
Initial tests reportedly indicated that he was on drugs and he allegedly admitted to being under the influence in front of investigators.
He was taken to hospital for tests, which police hope will reveal if there is any psychoactive substance in his blood, according to the spokeswoman.
It was also revealed that the teenager did not have a driver’s license, according to local media.
He is currently being held for 24 hours while the investigation for theft and several traffic offences like driving without a license and failing to stop at police signals is ongoing.
