by Stephen Rivers
- Suspects reportedly stole two Chevrolet Corvette ZR1s from the factory on Friday.
- Police quickly located the cars but managed to arrest only one of the drivers.
- This marks the second time this year Corvettes have been stolen from the same plant.
If there’s one safe place for a car, it would probably be at the factory where it’s made. Somehow, that’s not the case at all if the factory is the Bowling Green Production facility Chevrolet has for the Corvette. Just before the weekend kicked off last Friday, two people drove away with brand new Corvette ZR1s. They didn’t even take the time to remove the plastic wrapping from the cars.
Seeing as these are 1,064-horsepower (793 kW) supercars that we’re talking about, it should come as no surprise that just about every law enforcement agency anywhere nearby jumped in on the search. That included the Kentucky State Police, Bowling Green Police Department, and the Warren County Sheriff’s office, to name just a few.
Quick arrest, faster recovery
According to WBKO, officers arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the theft almost immediately. Authorities located both cars quickly after the theft, managed to spike the tires of one car, and captured its driver.
Neither car was damaged, but the second driver wasn’t on the scene when police found the other car. A local woman who listens to police radios says that the cars went from stolen to recovered in under 90 minutes.
Butler County lost site of it, last speeds were 180 plus
Charges stack up
The suspect in custody is now facing several charges, including engaging in organized crime, first-degree fleeing, first-degree wanton endangerment, theft by unlawful taking, first-degree criminal mischief, tampering with evidence, and obscuring the identity of a machine. The second driver isn’t yet in custody, and according to the radio reports, it exceeded 180 mph during the chase at times.
Also: Thieves Steal 8 New Corvettes From GM’s Factory, Drop Them Off At Lowe’s
Interestingly, the Martin County, Indiana Sheriff’s office, around two hours from Bowling Green, says that it’s searching for a man after a vehicle pursuit and crash. While it’s unclear if Dennis Smith, the individual in question, is directly related to the Corvette thefts, some outlets believe that is the case. Notably, this is the second time this year that the Corvette factory has suffered a theft from its grounds.
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