The truck thief in this next story was caught, but it’s how he got arrested that will make you cringe and ultimately grateful for a manual transmission.
Moments after stealing a Kenworth T300 straight truck early Wednesday morning, Pinson, Alabama resident Randy Vert came to a tough realization: he didn’t know how to drive stick.
That thought couldn’t have come at a worse time as Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies stood nearby around 4:30 a.m. taking a closer look at a car that had been abandoned on the road with its lights on. Just after officers determined that the car wasn’t stolen, a resident approached and told them that a man close by had just stolen a box truck.
Officers quickly responded and ordered Vert to stop, but he kept on driving. While you can’t exactly call it ‘hot pursuit,’ officers followed at speeds nearing 30mph because 29-year-old Vert couldn’t figure out how to get the truck out of first gear.
While the chase ensued on I-59 South, the transmission seized and the truck came to a stop. Vert was arrested and charged with first-degree theft of property, reckless endangerment, attempting to elude and resisting arrest, according to al.com.
One can only hope that Vert is required to pay for a new transmission. Though it’s cringe-worthy to think of that transmission seizing up, this story could have had a much different ending if it wasn’t for that manual transmission. A high-speed chase in a truck like that could have been much more dangerous.