Skip to content

A man thought he could flee with a stolen car, but a GM employee flipped a switch to shut off the engine

    Who needs a luxury security system when you can just contact General Motors?

    An aspiring car thief might wonder today, after trying to outrun a pursuing patrol car, only to have GM remotely slow down the stolen car so that a deputy could walk up to him and make the arrest. The company even turned on the vehicle’s turn signals to reduce the chances of it being hit by another car.

    In a press release, Fond du Lac County sheriffs said they were notified Saturday night that GM was tracking a stolen car on Interstate 41 in the town of Eldorado, north of Fond du Lac. A sheriff’s deputy found the car and began following it. The driver stepped on the gas and tried to avoid the officer.

    The rest is history. A sheriff’s dispatcher notified GM. They pulled the plug remotely.

    More: Fond du Lac identifies the man fatally shot to death on Marquette Street on Saturday as Brandon A. Johnson, 40; research remains active

    The stolen car, with its flashing lights on, came to a stop near I-41 and Military Road. Officers arrested the driver, a 39-year-old Seymour man, without incident.

    Deputies expect the driver to be charged with fleeing or evading an officer and driving a vehicle without the owner’s permission.

    Contact Doug Schneider at (920) 431-8333 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider.

    This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: GM stops car thief in Fond du Lac County at the push of a button