87 Year Old Drives Off In Wrong Chrysler New Yorker

[matcom]

<snip>

TOWN OF CHENANGO -- Eighty-seven-year-old Jesse T. Ross of Port Crane is no criminal, but police were on the lookout for the four-door Chrysler New Yorker he was driving Wednesday morning.

Jesse Ross, 87, of Port Crane, drove home a champagne colored, 1991 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue after running an errand. Unfortunately, he didn't notice it wasn't his. Ross owns a '93 version of the same car.

The New Yorker looked like his car. When he placed the key in the ignition, the engine turned over just as it did in his car. Problem was, it wasn't his car. And by the time Ross discovered the error, police already had been called by 50-year-old James F. Smith of South Street, Port Crane, the anxious owner of a missing Chrysler New Yorker.

"I got into the vehicle accidentally. The key worked. It was just like mine, leather interior and power windows," Ross said.

Broome County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Williams, who was on patrol, received the call about the missing champagne-colored 1991 four-door Chrysler New Yorker.

"Suddenly, there it was, right in front of me," Williams said. "I pulled up beside him rather than activate my red lights to identify the person in case he decided to run from me."

Ross knew immediately that he was at the center of a huge misunderstanding. He'd figured out he was driving a car that wasn't his.

Here he was, a man with a clean driving record for 70 years, who couldn't remember being pulled over since he got his license in 1935, accused of driving a hot car.

more....

http://www.pressconnects.com/today/news/stories/ne080505s182963.shtml

[noahmijo]

1. Ba hahahahahahah

First off once again leave it to Matcom to find the most off the wall news :::applause soundbite:::

Secondly all I can say is...TYPICAL ROFL

[Roon]

2. I started to get in a wrong car once

because it looked like mine. The owner showed up just as I opened the door. It was then that I realized my mistake and apologized to him. He asked what I was doing and I pointed to my car and he started laughing.

[no name no slogan]

3. Tip O'Neil had a similar story about J. Edgar Hoover

in his memoirs Man of the House, former Dem. Speaker Tip O'Neil told how once, back in the 1950s, J. Edgar Hoover accidentally drove the wrong car back from a racetrack in Virginia. He didn't realize his error until he was safely back in D.C.

Of course, transporting a stolen car across state lines is a federal offense, so technically ol' J. Edgar was a felon.

:D

[Shell Beau]

4. Aw, poor man. Never been pulled over and then

steal a car accidentally. I can see how it could happen though!

[MindPilot]

5. Happened to me once when I was working as a mechanic

A couple of us took a customer's car to test drive to lunch. When we came out we just walked up to first orange Mustang with a black vinyl top we saw. The key unlocked the door and we got in. At that moment, I noticed my test equipment that I'd hooked up for the test drive was not there and there no number hung from the mirror. Realizing it was the wrong car, we got out, locked it just as the owner walked up.

My partner said in his best Dragnet voice, "It's okay, sir, we're technicians". We drove off in the orange Mustang that was parked two spaces away.

[Love Bug]

6. I've heard of this happening before

Apparently, there are only so many key configurations and manufacturers try to keep the same ones in different geographical areas. However, people do move around and cars get sold, etc. Hope the old guy doesn't feel too bad. Could'a happen to anyone.