A 14-year-old boy driving a high-priced Mustang stolen from an assembly plant jumped from a freeway overpass after running out of gas during a police chase, authorities said.
The boy slipped out of the passenger side of a Mustang Shelby GT500 on an overpass on Interstate 75 outside Detroit and jumped 25 to 30 feet to the ground as armed police surrounded the stolen car, according to Brownstown Township police.
Police stated that the teen was taken by his mother to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening wounds. Brownstown police stated Tuesday that Wayne County prosecutors have been notified and will decide whether to file charges.
The theft was one of three Mustangs stolen from the Flat Rock Assembly Plant lot in Woodhaven, police said. Authorities said that officers chased luxury sports cars at high speed on Interstate 75 and that two drivers fled.
Police said that the sticker price for the Mustang that ran out gas was $113,000
Assembly plant car thefts are such a problem in the Detroit area that vehicles in their lots now have very little gas in their tanks, authorities said.
In August, Detroit Police said car thefts were rising, with suspects as young as 11 being arrested.
Authorities said they believe the juveniles are working for organized theft rings whose leaders convince the minors to steal cars because juveniles face lesser punishments than adults.
Police said that 12 Mustangs were also stolen from Flat Rock Assembly Plant last month. Two more were recovered later.