Things got really exciting in Billings, Montana, Tuesday night when two young teens decided to go joyriding in a stolen RV. They ended up leading the local constabulary through town on an erratic low speed chase. The cops even got to use some equipment they never really thought they would.
Grand Theft RV
The police in Billings, Montana, are trying to find the owner of an RV left blocking traffic on the freeway frontage road.
They’re also trying to figure out how two young teens were able to hijack a recreational vehicle for a joyride. The “low speed chase” ended without tragedy and the investigation is “ongoing.”
As explained by Billings Police Lieutenant Brandon Wooley, “officers were dispatched to Auto Auction of Montana around 7 p.m. on Tuesday for a report of an RV stolen by two kids.”
The eagle-eyed detectives in Billings don’t miss a trick. Yep, they confirmed, it’s gone alright. “Officers were unable to locate the vehicle when they arrived.” That’s probably because it had been stolen.
Apparently, it’s harder to locate an errant motor home in Billings than one would imagine but the police soon got an assist from the public. As Lt. Wooley reports, “about an hour later a traffic complaint involving the RV was made to dispatch.”
Along with the local cops, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol responded to reports of an RV trying to run someone off the road. That would probably be those pesky kids, they agreed.
At or below the speed limit
At least the juvenile delinquents who marauded the motor home were conscientious enough to keep the speed down.
A whole herd of SUVs with flashing red and blues chased the RV from where they caught up with it near Sugar Avenue. The whole time they were “at or below the speed limit” and didn’t break 35 miles an hour.
Law enforcement trailed the RV eastbound on State Avenue. Quick thinking cops decided to get drastic.
Once they got the vehicle headed to where it could be bottlenecked, they deployed the spike strips. The camper “eventually came to a stop on South Frontage Road.” Cops immediatley started tracking the owner.
“Authorities are still trying to confirm the owner of the RV” currently blocking traffic they noted at the time. Once they got the juggernaut halted, they handcuffed “two boys, ages 12 and 13.”
Both were unharmed. One child “was taken in for a mental health evaluation.” The other “was released to his parents.” So far, no charges have been filed.
