Ohio Teens Go on Car Theft Spree, Leave Trail of Chaos by Steven Symes, Motorious
Just like when your mom kept telling you to close the refrigerator door or not track mud in the house, we keep telling readers car thefts have spiked since the coronavirus lockdowns and they’re only going to get worse. And while muscle cars and other performance models are often the targets, that’s not always the case. Police in Dayton, OH, say they believe seven teenagers have been responsible for a rash of car thefts, including one vehicle which was taken with a baby inside. Thankfully, the baby was dropped off safely, but that didn’t slow down the teenage criminals one bit. The following week, two car dealerships in the area were the victims of theft. Police say a RAM and Cadillac were stolen from a used car lot in Miamisburg and were driven to the White Allen VW in Miami, where they were both ditched. From there, the teens stole three other cars. According to a local news report, keys were taken out of drawers and left in a pile outside the dealership office.
Later, a police detective spotted one of the stolen cars, a black Volkswagen Passat, and a marked cruiser tried to pull it over, but the teen driver fled, sideswiping the police cruiser, then hitting three other cars before coming to a stop. All three teens in the car ran, but police caught two immediately and tracked down the third one later. Not only were police able to recover the now-crashed Passat, they tracked down a white Volkswagen Tiguan and three more of the teenage car thieves. One teen and a 2012 GM Acadia are still at large. As my seventh grade language arts teacher said: if you’re going to steal a car, at least go for a Ferrari, not a Datsun. Apparently these kids don’t get that Volkswagens are anything but “hot” cars. This story should serve as a reminder you should take precautions and secure your vehicle, especially during the nighttime hours. Car thefts are becoming way too common these days and there are plenty of indications they’re going to get even worse. We thank Motorious for reprint permission.
Crash Champions Enters Milwaukee Market The Crash Champions organization announced Sept. 1 its expansion into the Milwaukee, WI, market with the acquisition of Silver Spring Collision Center in West Bend, WI. The Lamberty family has owned Silver Spring Collision at 3000 W. Washington Street, West Bend, since 1983 and it has been a family-owned and operated facility for more than 40 years. With the ad-
sition is another big step in our expansion as it marks our entry into the state of Wisconsin.” The Lamberty family created a company that fit perfectly into the Crash Champions business model. For more than four decades, they have been hyper-focused on customer service, high quality repairs and employee retention. The business name will change to Crash Champions-West
dition of this facility, Crash Champions continues its rapid growth strategy and expansion throughout the U.S. with 40 locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and California. “I’m excited about this location because it is a very nice wellequipped facility. They also share our operational standards for high quality repairs and great customer service,” said Matt Ebert, CEO. “This acqui-
Bend, but Joey Lamberty Jr. will remain the general manager of this location. Crash Champions looks forward to continuing the tradition and begin servicing their loyal customer base. For more information about Crash Champions or to find a facility near you, visit www.crashchampions. com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Source: Crash Champions
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