Watch: Customer turns car thief, drives off with showroom employee on bonnet

A customer turned into a car thief at a dealership in London. The thief drove off a BMW M4 with a sales representative of the showroom on the bonnet of the car. While the thief is still absconding, the salesperson was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

The brazen car theft took place at the London dealership on Oxford Street last Wednesday evening. The suspected car thief arrived at the dealership in a Silver coloured Audi to look at a 2018 BMW M4 with red leather interior upholstery and dealer plate 084DRX.

The salesperson at the dealership turned on the engine of the car after the suspect asked to hear the engine. Once outside the car, the suspect asked the salesperson that he had to make a phone call and he was given privacy to call, as the sales representative was standing close by in front of the vehicle.

Suddenly, the car thief put the car into gear and accelerated towards the salesperson, who jumped on the hood of the car. He held onto the vehicle for some time, finally sliding off the hood as the BMW approached Highbury Avenue.

In a social post, the dealership has said that it is unfortunate that thieves nowadays are capable of stealing a vehicle in broad daylight with no fear of killing someone in the process. It also stated that the thief succeeded in his plan and was not caught yet.

Car theft is a menace and nightmare for vehicle owners across the world. In India too, vehicle insurance companies claim that the highest claims for theft are attributed to SUVs. According to statistics, theft of SUVs has grown by around 20% in FY19, as compared to FY18 that reported around 10,000 SUV stealing. In India, out of 100 vehicles insured around 40 claims are filed and less than 2% of cases are solved.