Georgia teenagers involved in high-speed car chase after allegedly stealing Hyundai car using USB cable: police
According to police, a 13-year-old driver and 16-year-old passenger led Georgia state officials in a high-speed chase after they allegedly used a viral technique and stole a Hyundai Elantra car with a USB cable.
Greater Atlanta police are warning Hyundai and Kia owners after a spike in car thefts. Last weekend, the police reported three thefts.
Police have linked the sharp rise in car thefts to viral social media videos teaching people how to start the cars with USB cables and a security flaw in some Hyundai and Kia vehicles sold in the US without an immobilizer, which is standard on most cars since the 1990s, where the engine would not start without a key.
Officers from the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office conducted a maneuver to stop the stolen Hyundai Elantra. (Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)
On Sunday, May 21, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office responded to an 911 call with a request for an independent report that someone attempted to break into cars while attempting to pull over a white Hyundai Elantra.
Rise in stolen cars across the United States linked to viral videos on Tiktok and other social media platforms
Police later learned the car was stolen by unlikely suspects, a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old.
Authorities said the unnamed 13-year-old driver refused to stop, leading officers to a high-speed chase at up to 120mph. According to the police, the inexperienced teenager almost collided head-on with the patrol car.
Body camera footage shows the eventual arrest of the 13-year-old and 16-year-old, who tried to evade arrest after stealing a white Hyundai Elantra. (Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)
Dashcam footage showed officials maneuvering the stolen car to a halt. The suspected thieves attempted to evade arrest, but body camera footage shows officers quickly pursuing and arresting the youths.
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Both have been handed over to juvenile authorities and face charges of auto theft, escape and attempted escape and burglary of cars.
A generic image of a white Hyundai Elantra. The two teenagers stole a white Hyundai Elantra using a USB cable. (Moscow police)
Hyundai said the problems with stolen vehicles in the Atlanta area had gotten so bad that they sent out letters to some owners warning them of the thefts.
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The company reported that the free repairs were only for certain models of Hyundai vehicles. The letter said the company would repair the car’s alarm and ignition logic and put window stickers to warn thieves that the cars were safer.