Working together on the late, late shift on a weekend, Trooper Robby is the driver as Sheriff’s Lieutenant Wendle acts as navigator. This is a few years back as the two lawmen work together in the Upstate looking for moonshiners.

Lt. Wendle’s hunch pays off. Here comes a Chevrolet with heavy duty springs (probably) holding up a tank filled with illegal moonshine.

"Let’s just check this fella out and take a closer look at his vehicle," Lt. Wendle says to Trooper Robby. The instant the patrol car’s red bubble pops on the Chevy digs in and takes off.

It’s 3 a.m. and, thank goodness, there are few other cars on the highway. The Chevy handles curves and railroad crossings like a pro. Trooper Robby manages to keep the Chevy in sight.

After about 10 minutes the chase is on a straight and narrow stretch of road. "Get in close as you can an keep us to his right," Lt. Wendle says. Trooper Robby does exactly that.

That’s when Lt. Wendle takes off his broad-brimmed hat, leans out the passenger window and fires a single rifle shot. The bullet finds the right front tire of the moonshiner car. The Chevy digs into the highway, then flips over three times.

Trooper Robby and the Lt. Wendle approach the wrecked car cautiously. The area around the wreck smells like a gin mill. The driver and a passenger are both teenaged boys. Neither has a weapon and the boys don’t appear to be seriously injured-just shaken up. They are pinned in the car and have to wait for a rescue squad to cut them out using the Jaws of Life.

During the wait, the young driver of the moonshine car brags to his captors: "You never would have got us if my front tire hadn’t blowed."

The Lt. smiles, then whispers to the Trooper, "When we get to the jail, remind me to change out that tire with the bullet hole in it."