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Officers are investigating the driving shown on the video.

(MLive file photo)

KALAMAZOO, MI -- When Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Pali Matyas viewed the YouTube video flooding his email box Monday morning, he knew immediately what he was seeing.

"I have seen this guy myself on Ninth Street and ON Avenue, by Arbys," Matyas said. He was off duty eating at the restaurant with his wife a few weeks ago when he saw the car, he said. "You can hear the car going by, it sounds like a sick lawnmower," he said. As he witnessed the driver cut off other drivers, Matyas said, "I thought we'll find him in a ditch somewhere."

Instead, he found a 23-minute video collage of what appears to be the same driver running red lights, using left turn lanes to cut off advancing traffic, and committing other traffic offenses.

The creator of the video noted in the Nov. 9 post that "this has been going on for over 2 years now."

Matyas said Monday morning that an officer in Oshtemo Township has been assigned to investigate the matter; the video includes clear shots of the car's license plate. If the driver is charged and found guilty of reckless driving, a misdemeanor "that's a chunk of change," Matyas said, including a big fine and several points on the driver's license. Worse still Matyas said, "when insurance companies see that they drop you like a hot potato or jack up the rates so much there is no point in driving anymore. It's right up there with drunk driving."

Although the YouTube video certainly appears to include damning evidence, and it is not necessary for police to witness every infraction to begin an investigation, Matyas said a full investigation will take place. "You take (YouTube) at face value an you usually end up on the short end of the stick," he said. "But we're on it."

Attempts to reach the creator of the video have not been immediately successful, but at the end of the video, he or she states: "I've seen this car driving like this every day of the week except Friday. ... First started noticing the frequent reckless driver in 2012; finally got a dash cam mount in 2013."

Lively conversations on internet sites Gawker and Reddit have ensued.

Correction: Nov. 26, 5 p.m. : Story updated to clarify that Matyas was off duty when he witnessed the car.