Somehow, nobody was hurt…
Back on December 20, 2020 a man in New South Wales, Australia swiped an Audi R8 and took it on a joyride for almost 30 minutes. Because the car had both front and rear dashcams which automatically turn on and the thief either didn’t realize this or didn’t care, the whole incident was recorded.
According to the owner of the Audi R8, the thief came across a police checkpoint where they were having drivers take a breathalyzer (what we would call a DUI checkpoint) when he jumped out of his Ford Focus and ran for it. We’re guessing the guy had been drinking and maybe something more, so he didn’t want to face the consequences of his actions.
Anyway, the guy started jumping fences and breaking into houses to hide from the police. Eventually, he broke into one house and found the Audi R8’s keys, realizing the German supercar was in the garage, so he swiped it. What better getaway car than one which can easily smoke the cops?
As you watch the video, it’s obvious this guy is either a crappy driver, is drunk, or both. He struggles to handle what’s one of the easiest modern supercars to drive. Then again, he’s used to the “dynamic” nature of a Ford Focus, so adjusting to something with real power and handling capabilities would be pretty jarring. After wrecking the rear end, he’s also dumb enough to get out of the car and stand right in full view of the rear camera. With one wheel pointed the wrong direction, he continued to drive until he reached what he must have thought was a suitable dumping spot.
According to the owner, after the Audi supercar was damaged “beyond repair” the thief dumped it in Windale. Tips from people on Facebook helped to track the R8 down to its final resting place. We just hope they had excellent insurance coverage since the owner claims it had over $100,000 in damage done. He also only had the supercar for 3 months. The thief, Darren Johns, was arrested.
Maybe the lesson here is that even though it would be nice to think people won’t break into your house, perhaps you should put your hobby car’s keys in a secure, out-of-view place like a safe? We hate blaming victims and don’t think this is the Audi R8 owner’s fault in the least, but it’s not a bad thing for everyone to consider.
