When faced with the theft of their vehicle, individuals may react in varied ways. Some might shout in desperation, accept the loss of their second most valuable possession (provided they aren’t living in temporary housing), contact the police, or emulate the woman featured in the video below. At The Drive, we advise against following her example.
The footage opens with a woman refueling her white Subaru Outback at a gas station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Suddenly, a black Cadillac arrives, and a thief jumps out. He quickly makes his way to the driver’s seat and attempts to drive off. In a courageous but dangerous move, she leaps onto the hood of the car as he tries to escape.
There is only one situation where such extreme measures might be somewhat understandable: if children are inside the vehicle. Most people would go to great lengths to stop a thief from escaping if their kids were in the back seat. However, if there are no children present, putting oneself in harm’s way is unjustifiable.
In such scenarios, it is advisable to calmly alert the authorities, give them your precise location, describe the incident and the suspect, and proceed with filing an insurance claim. While car theft is undoubtedly distressing, risking your life is not worth it.
It remains unclear why this particular thief abandoned his attempt at grand theft auto. Our assumption is that he wished to avoid additional charges, such as assault with a deadly weapon, on his record.
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