Thief's SUV Gets Gas Pedal Disabled by OnStar
OnStar has gotten a lot of people out of sticky situations but this is the first time they've ever retrieved a stolen car by electronically disabling the gas pedal during a high-speed chase.
The Associated Press reports that 33-year-old Jose Ruiz was sitting in his 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe with his cousin when a thief approached the vehicle with a sawn-off shotgun. At first Ruiz' cousin refused to comply with commands to get out of the car and hand over the contents of his pockets. However, Ruiz talked his cousin into going along with it, knowing that OnStar would be able to locate his car.
Sure enough, shortly after giving police permission to have OnStar track the SUV, the company got a fix on the location of the truck just a few miles away. With officers in pursuit, the thief behind the wheel sped up. Dispatchers warned the offices on scene that OnStar was about to disable the car and the vehicle soon rolled to a halt.
The suspect was apprehended following a short chase on foot. He ran from the car, climbed a couple of fences and then fell into someone's pool.
Full story from the AP.
-
Previous News Article
Barnes & Noble Announces Snazzy... -
Next News Article
Google Audio To Compete with...
Finally a solid, well written, concise and to the point article! Good story!
While catching the thief was a good thing, I will not have a car with On Star, no big brother in my car with me.
Will onStar work with Windows Me?
Big brother.
Finally a solid, well written, concise and to the point article! Good story!
Don't know whether I should be insulted or pleased...
He didn't mention your name, Jane. It's for this site in general.
OWND!
And seriously people, if someone points any kind of gun at you, just give them your keys, wallet, or whatever. It's just not worth it.
It's not Big Brother. Its Big Corporate. The guy had to give the police permission to use OnStar to track the car. However, no one ever said GM wasn't using OnStar to track every one of their cars at all times. Who knows what GM is doing with all that data. Maybe they'll find a way to revoke your warranty or something based on how you've driven your car, or that fact you regularly go 3001 miles between oil changes instead of 3000 miles.
Of course, I'm assuming that all those domestic spying laws signed in by Bush and Obama don't cover OnStar access. Otherwise the CIA is already tracking these vehicles for us.
If they really want to track you they would just use your cell phone. So being all scandalized by OnStar is ridiculous since you're already fully trackable.
Personnally, I think its pretty sweet that they can recover a stolen vehicle that way. If more vehicles had this it would make car thieves think twice before they went running off.
That Ruiz cousin is either very brave or very stupid. With a sawn-off shutgun pointed at my face, i'd give the thief my keys and gas money too!
Pfff... typical american paranoïa... *** lowers voice *** They're on to us. End communication.
Very well written and concise story. Good work!
He refused to comply with a sawn off shotgun in his face? Damn, I think I'd start crying if someone pointed a gun at me.
He refused to comply with a sawn off shotgun in his face? Damn, I think I'd start crying if someone pointed a gun at me.
I think I'd probably pee a little, then cry.
You people have been reading too much 1984. This ain't Big Brother. You pay extra to get the OnStar in your vehicle. They aid you in car crashes and emergencies. If you are the legal owner of that car, you don't have to worry about "Big Brother." But if you are this thief, then ya, you do. So moral of the story is: Grand theft auto is a crime.
That's awesome... this is a true anti-thief device...
Anyone want to take a guess as to the race of the perpetrator?
OWND!And seriously people, if someone points any kind of gun at you, just give them your keys, wallet, or whatever. It's just not worth it.
after you give them your wallet and stuff, when they are walking away, pull out your gun and shoot them in the back them take everything they have on them and drive away
anyway onstar is good for situations like this but this feature can be prevented if the criminal has a cellphone jammer in the car with them
a better solution would be also have a special rf receiver and a device where the car owner can give police the code to also shut off the car when in range, great backup if the criminal has a cellphone jammer.
I think I'd probably pee a little, then cry.
That's a brilliant idea! Who'd want to steal a car impregnated with pee?! Yucky.
That's a brilliant idea! Who'd want to steal a car impregnated with pee?! Yucky.
But then I'd have to clean my own pee out of my car. Maybe I should just keep taking the train...
love how this article ended: "He ran from the car, climbed a couple of fences and then fell into someone's pool."
I bet the trolls who flamed my first post would line up for a microchip in their right hand or forehead, without it they could not buy or sell, idiots.
love how this article ended: "He ran from the car, climbed a couple of fences and then fell into someone's pool."
But doesn't everyone pee on the train? lol just kidding
I like stories like this, society has enough unsolvable problems but its nice when tech can come up with a cure for at least one of them. Now how long before something like this is mandatory to be installed on all vehicles so the police never have to get into a high speed chase? *puts tinfoil hat on*
Wow holy misquotes batman... I meant to quote "But then I'd have to clean my own pee out of my car. Maybe I should just keep taking the train..."
Anyone want to take a guess as to the race of the perpetrator?
Better question "WHY DOES THAT F*****G MATTER." I don't care what race anyone is... EVERYONE, STOP PULLING THE RACE CARD.
If someone is stupid enough to care then they need to be beaten with a rubber hose.
Anyone want to take a guess as to the race of the perpetrator?
Oh dear. You silly, silly man.
Jane, you should take it as a complement. I've noticed over the past few months you're one of the few (probably only) writer that's shown any effort to make their next article better based on the comments. With this article you didn't try to inject opinions (Kevin: "Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the Walt Disney of electronic gaming,") or show a bias (Marcus
Did the thief pee in the pool? Did OnStar disable his weenie?
I've have reading comprehension problems and slight retardation.
Yeah but will it play Crysis? Sorry couldn't resist!
He didn't mention your name, Jane. It's for this site in general.
He didn't mention her name but he specified "the article", which is written by Jane. So...
If the thief was white they'd be sure to say "The white thief" on MS-NBC.