Local

Woman’s car tracked down to Memphis after thieves steal it following fender-bender

ATLANTA — A woman told Channel 2 Action News that she was in a fender-bender in northwest Atlanta when a couple of thieves stole her car just moments later.

They hit her at the intersection of Deering Road and Northside Drive.

“There was a car, you know, bumped into me and so the car pulled over and had the hazards and everything on,” said the 32-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified.

The victim said that when she got out of her Audi A-7 to check for damage, one of the thieves hopped in her car and drove off.

“All of a sudden, my car door closes and he takes off. I didn’t even realize what was going on until I heard the car door close,” she said.

To make it worse, she had left her purse containing her personal items in the car.

“IDs, credit cards, laptop,” she said. “Definitely distraught and traumatized."

She said a good Samaritan helped her call police.

Police eventually tracked her car to an impound lot in Memphis, Tennessee, about 300 miles away from the crime scene.

As investigators continue to work to identify the thieves, this victim says she’s now living her life in fear.

“The last two days have been very traumatizing. You definitely think about what you did wrong and how could you have avoided this,” she said.

She said this is a good reminder to all drivers to trust your gut. She said she had a bad feeling after the fender-bender and should have waited for police to arrive.

Channel 2′s Michael Seiden contacted the Atlanta Police Department. A spokesperson said that although this is not a common occurrence, it’s important for motorists to stay vigilant and always contact police, no matter how minor the crash, and remember to take their keys out.