Man Puts Up Stolen Lexus As Collateral, Steals Mercedes On Test Drive

Image courtesy of Frankieleon

It probably wasn’t the first time that one man in Pennsylvania has been accused of stealing a car. We’re guessing. That’s because when he took a Mercedes on a test drive at a dealership near Pittsburgh, the Lexus that he left behind the keys to was, um, also reported stolen. From another dealership.

The dealership employee who handed over the keys followed their normal procedures: they made a copy of the man’s license, and held on to the keys to the car he arrived in. He was testing an older Mercedes, explaining that he wanted something different from his Lexus because he needed a more comfortable car after undergoing back surgery.

All of that makes sense, and the employee handed over the keys to the Mercedes after going through the whole normal routine, including describing their normal test drive route. Then she let the man drive off by himself.

After half an hour passed, she noticed that he Lexus’s license plate and registration sticker weren’t from the same state. Police told her that the Lexus was, indeed, stolen. So was the Mercedes.

The dealership, needless to say, plans to change its test drive procedures, probably sending employees out with drivers so they don’t take off with the merchandise anymore.

Man Steals Car On Test Drive, After Using Stolen Car As Collateral [CBS Pittsburgh]

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