by Heather Graf
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It's happened to all of us at least once. You're driving down the road, glance in the rearview, spot a Ford Crown Victoria and instinctively hit the brakes.
Now, the car that for decades has been a go-to for the Tennessee Highway Patrol is going away.
"You know, the Crown Victoria is built like a truck. I mean, it's sturdy, it's dependable, and it's heavy duty, and that's what we need," said Sergeant Rick Woodward, who has logged 23 years with the THP.
During almost his entire career, Woodward said the Crown Victoria has served as his partner.
That's why he and so many other officers were crushed when they learned Ford stopped production of the preferred police car last fall.
The THP stockpiled a few of them, but the miles add up quickly, as do the bumps and bruises.
"You can tell the damage, the impact - and this trooper wasn't hurt," said Lt. Michael Allen, as he showed NewsChannel 5 a Crown Victoria left mangled from an accident.
Now, there's only one, brand-new, Ford Crown Victoria left and it's up for grabs.
"The thing about the Highway Patrol and the Crown Victoria is that if you see that thing out in the median, it doesn't matter if you're going 70, 65, it doesn't matter how fast you're going, you hit the brakes," said Alex Campbell.
NewsChannel 5 caught up with him on the day before his trooper graduation.
Campbell not only is aware of the history and tradition of the Crown Victoria, he respects it. He's also one of about two dozen cadets in his class who've spent the last 18 weeks fighting for a chance to be assigned the very last THP Crown Victoria.
"From what I understand, it goes as a prize, to the - I guess the top cadet of this class, so instead of getting a hand-me-down, they get a brand new toy," one family member explained.
In the end, Trooper Ryan Quinn beat out everyone, even his own brother.
"Well, being the top cadet, they gave me a new vehicle that had zero miles on it, all the new equipment on it, so I hope to put it to good use," he said.
Quinn knows it's bittersweet, because his career is just starting out, and the Crown Victoria has reached the end of the road.
The THP spent months evaluating and testing possible replacements for the Crown Victoria, and eventually chose the Chevrolet Caprice.
They'll start rolling out those gas-efficient new patrol cars, slowly, over the next few years.
"You know, we're law enforcement, we're going to adapt with the change and go from there," said Sergeant Woodward.
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