Man attempts to steal car with no brakes

A would-be car thief ended up with a headache, no car, and an embarrassment in what turned out to be a very disastrous car theft.

At 5:10 a.m. on May 29, the Perham Police Department was called about a car accident on 2nd St. NW. Upon arriving, police officers developed a clearer idea of what had happened.

A local man had seen an Audi 5000 Quattro in a residential driveway on 2nd St. The keys were in the vehicle, but, unbeknown to the thief, the brakes were not, as the car’s master cylinder had been removed by the owner in order to repair the brakes.

The thief drove a short distance before he attempted to brake, at which point the car slammed into a tree, causing the thief’s head to strike the car’s windshield. He was transported to the hospital upon the arrival of the police.

The incident is still under investigation, and the police department expects formal charges to be filed soon.