What started as a test drive in a Tesla ended up in a police chase across three southeast Michigan counties.
A 20-year old woman took a Tesla Model Y on a test drive on Monday evening and allegedly did not return the vehicle. Tesla employees began tracking the vehicle and alerted the Troy Police Department about the potential theft.
Michigan State Police troopers located the vehicle around 6:55 pm and attempted a traffic stop. However, the driver fled, and the chase continued for an extended period.
According to the police, the driver led troopers through three counties before a successful precision immobilization technique (PIT) stopped the vehicle.
Below is some dash cam of the pursuit including the start of the pursuit, the PIT maneuvers and the end of the pursuit. The arrest was not shown to avoid identifying the suspect prior to any charges and/or arraignment. 4/4 pic.twitter.com/dqd5zA32f3
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) October 19, 2021
After being stopped, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Tesla provides potential clients with a touchless test drive experience. This means that, unlike traditional dealers, users enter the vehicle and conduct the test drive independently. After the test drive, clients can ask any questions about the vehicle to a Tesla Advisor in the showroom.
Tesla did not provide a comment on the incident. However, as per a report by WDIV Local 4, the vehicle received damage to the back and side panels.
