Manufacturer turns stolen car into prison for thief

When you leave a BMW 5 Series unlocked with the keys in the ignition, most people would say you’re asking for the car to be stolen. However, with state of the art technology, if your car does get stolen BMW Corporate will not only help track it down but turn the car into a prison for the thief.

According to the Seattle Police Department, a car thief on the prowl happened upon the BMW 550i in a parking lot with the keys inside.

The vehicle’s owner had loaned the car to a friend who accidentally left the keys inside the car.

At about 5AM the owner discovered her car was missing and informed the police.

The Seattle Police Department contacted BMW corporate and were able to track down the vehicle. As officers approached the vehicle parked in an alley with the engine running, they discovered the thief had fallen asleep at the wheel.

BMW employees were able to lock the car’s doors, turning the luxury vehicle into a prison for the suspect.

Officers booked the suspect for auto theft and drug possession after they discovered methamphetamine from the suspect.

BMW provides a service to customers through its ConnectedDrive program which allows staff to lock or unlock a vehicle using the SIM-card based system.

The ConnectedDrive system however comes with its own set of problems. In 2015 BMW discovered hackers could send any command to vehicles through the system.