OnStar shuts down stolen Camaro

[Captain Awesome]

Featured on Camaro5 HOMEPAGE

Video report: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/cant...-police-chase/

Two police departments, a helicopter and dozens of cruisers were hot on the trail of a stolen Chevy Camaro speeding through Illinois. But it wasn’t their efforts that ultimately stopped the renegade vehicle. It was OnStar.

The General Motors’ subscription-based service, which is often used to alert first responders to accidents or even let family members see where the car is driving, has the ability to shut down OnStar-enabled vehicles. This is just what was done to Brandon Holme’s car that was stolen from a West Dundee gas station and taken on a 40-mile, high-speed chase, according to Chicago’s CBS Local.

Here’s how it all went down:

“I walked into the gas station, and as I’m walking in, he’s walking out, and he goes, ‘Nice Camaro,’” Holme said. “The guy said ‘Nice Camaro.’ He jumped in my car and took it.”

Holme called police, then called OnStar to report the car had been stolen. Police, working with OnStar, trailed the Camaro to Chicago.

“They told me they could not use OnStar until the cop was behind him. They can’t just shut it off when it’s anywhere,” Holme said.

At a certain point, OnStar was given the green light to shut off the car. The vehicle crashed into bushes after the gas pedal became inoperable. The man who stole the car, 20-year-old Andre Hill, was not injured in the crash and is currently in jail on $30,000 bail.

Holme credits OnStar for the reason he still has his vehicle — however banged up — today. Still, it is this very technology that has had others worried. Although OnStar is an optional service drivers must subscribe to, it was revealed last year that OnStar was tracking customers even after they had canceled subscriptions to the service. The Blaze reported at the time that Glenn Beck had even voiced his concerns about OnStar’s pervasive tracking capability a couple years before even this information came to light. But in September 2011, it was revealed OnStar was still collecting data on disabled vehicles. GM soon thereafter stopped this practice saying it would only maintain data tracking on customers after cancellation should they “opt-in.”

Not sure why the driver crashed into bushes when the car was disabled...

[AdamZ]

Sweet. Good find!

Any c5 member going to claim this Camaro? Haha

[1COR.1:18]

Bet he never leaves it running again.

[Abstrak]

Dumb ass shouldnt have left the keys in the ignition.

[mycamaro2011]

I liked his shirt.. lmao

[Grey Ghost]

LOL!

[red70tvhs]

glad nobody got hurt. Glad that asshat got caught. Glad he got his car back... Just hope he learns to take his keys and lock the freakin door. I liven in a very rural environment where everybody knows everybody and I dont trust my neighbors.

[GEEKFREEKSCOTTY]

I like the poll at the end where it asks if you like onstar "Because you'll get your car back"

or

dislike it "Because they could "accidentally" shut down your car when you didn't want them to."

Really?? Whoever thought of this poll is obviously wearing a tin foil hat.. and so is all the people that voted that choice.

Think some errant employee is randomly shutting down cars? or do they think it's some sort of marketing scam (renew your subscription, or we'll randomly shut your car down!"?

[gyoung]

Originally Posted by Abstrak

Dumb ass shouldnt have left the keys in the ignition.

This. Who dafuq does that?

[Ringo64]

So he left his Camaro running and someone stole it, you don't say?

Originally Posted by JEEPFREEKSCOTTY

I like the poll at the end where it asks if you like onstar "Because you'll get your car back"

or

dislike it "Because they could "accidentally" shut down your car when you didn't want them to."

Really?? Whoever thought of this poll is obviously wearing a tin foil hat.. and so is all the people that voted that choice.

Think some errant employee is randomly shutting down cars? or do they think it's some sort of marketing scam (renew your subscription, or we'll randomly shut your car down!"?

The website is called "The Blaze", I rest my case

[vroomapunk]

Good video and article, but reading the comments below make me question the human race, those people are insane

[SixCyl]

Originally Posted by vroomapunk

Good video and article, but reading the comments below make me question the human race, those people are insane

That was your first mistake. Nothing good ever lies in the comment section. I was trying to give the victim the benefit of the doubt, there are some pretty sophisticated devices that record the frequency of the unlock and can start cars and what not but it does seem like he walked straight into it.

Edit: Read the comments. Uhhhhh....What???

[stand-al0ne]

"Drive it like you stole it!" ---- I think I'll pass...

[ADzurka]

In some cases if you leave the keys in the car (IE around kids) the driver can be sued if the kid takes it for a joy ride. That's why I leave my 2 pit bulls in my car when i go into the gas station... Just saying Great story BTW...