A woman’s gaming session turned into a terrifying real-life experience when a car being chased by police crashed into her bedroom wall while she was playing Grand Theft Auto. Emma Graves, 44, from Leeds, was sitting in her ground-floor flat on Thornhill Road in Armley when the incident occurred on July 2 at around 10:40 pm.
The crash happened during a police pursuit that was part of a wider firearms investigation. The fleeing vehicle hit three other cars before tearing through fencing and smashing into Graves’ bedroom wall, just feet from where she was seated. West Yorkshire Police confirmed that eight arrests were made following the collision, though no charges have been brought yet.
“I literally couldn’t make this up,” Graves said about the bizarre timing of the incident, as per National World. “It was not funny at the time, but it was afterwards.” She described hearing “engines revving, screeching brakes, then multiple impacts” outside her flat while she was evading virtual police in the video game. The building shook from the impact, and Graves could hear police shouting at someone to “put their hands up and put the weapon down.”
Woman launches petition for road safety measures after crash
The incident has prompted Graves to take action about what she describes as ongoing traffic problems on Thornhill Road. She has launched a petition calling for urgent safety measures on the residential street, which has already gathered over 100 signatures. Graves, who is a full-time carer for her mother, moved into the council flat in late 2024 and had already noticed dangerous driving patterns in the area.
A woman playing GTA 5 experienced a real-life chase when a suspect's car crashed into her home
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 18, 2025
"I literally couldn’t make this up … It was not funny at the time, but it was afterwards" pic.twitter.com/kTHF5qBCQ0
“Thornhill Road has been dangerous for a long time,” Graves explained. “It’s constantly used as a rat run by commuters, school traffic, delivery vans and joyriders, despite being a residential area with children, elderly and disabled residents.” She noted that the road only has two 20mph signs and some bollards for traffic control, which she says are not enough to prevent misuse of the road. While studies have shown no significant link between video games and real-world violence, Graves’ experience shows how reality can sometimes mirror virtual worlds in unexpected ways.
To highlight the severity of the problem, Graves conducted her own traffic survey between 7am and 4pm. She found that 243 out of 830 cars were driving either unsafely or illegally. Local residents she spoke with described the road as “like a death trap.” The crash has left her with ongoing anxiety, and she still feels nervous whenever she hears car screeching sounds. The Grand Theft Auto franchise has long been associated with controversial moments and debates about gaming content, but rarely has real-life police action intersected so directly with someone’s gaming experience.
Leeds City Council has responded to Graves’ concerns by arranging a site meeting to discuss the situation. A council spokesperson said they are committed to their Vision Zero 2040 strategy, which aims to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by that date. The meeting was scheduled for September 25, and the council has also requested information from West Yorkshire Police to better understand the incident. Graves hopes the crash will serve as a catalyst for real change before something more serious happens on the dangerous stretch of road.
