Man Allegedly Steals Car On A Dare, Crashes Into Van

Police say a 21-year-old man stole a car that had been left running on Hawthorne Court and then crashed it into a minivan. Madison police say a 20-year-old man had parked the automobile and left it unlocked and running to take pictures of it, when the suspect jumped in the driver’s seat and accelerated in reverse, causing smoke to billow up from the tires. A witness said the vehicle was traveling 40 to 50 miles-an-hour and narrowly missed hitting three pedestrians before striking the minivan. The driver attempted to flee on foot before being detained by officers. The suspect refused a field sobriety test and was taken to jail on suspicion of second-degree reckless endangering safety, operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, reckless driving, hit-and-run, unsafe backing and failure to have insurance.