Police Arrest Man After Kia Dealership Loaner Car Reported Stolen
Read the full story on The Auto Wire
By now you’ve likely heard about some car rental firms reporting vehicles as stolen, with customers getting arrested and jailed. That’s a horrible scenario to find yourself in, but this case out of California is the first one we’ve seen of a dealership loaner car being reported stolen. The man who was driving it is mad and has since sued the dealer.
Enterprise employee gets fired and goes on a rampage.
The man was pulled over in Costa Mesa, California after the dealership made a clerical error, reporting the Kia crossover as stolen. When deputies located it, they had the driver come out as they trained guns on him, then cuffed and arrested the innocent man.
Jamie Rodgers was on his way to work in the morning when a deputy pulled him over. Getting stopped by a cop can be a little jarring, but the deputy got on his loudspeaker and told Rodgers he was considered armed and dangerous, so he better follow orders or he might be shot.
Thankfully Rodgers complied with all orders and the mess was untangled, but he was placed under arrest and said he feared for his life. It makes you think twice about taking the dealership up on using a loaner while your ride is in for repairs.
According to Fox 11, the dealership lost the paperwork for the loaner and so reported the car as stolen. It’s amazing no digital records of who had the vehicle or why were kept, something which would’ve avoided the entire mess.
With this case still in litigation three years after the mistaken arrest of Rodgers, it will be interesting to see how things shake out.
Let us know, do you think the dealership was negligent and therefore liable or was this just an honest mistake?
Image via Fox 11 Los Angeles/YouTube
Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
