KC auto shop worker survives three-mile I-70 ride atop SUV

A Kansas City auto repair shop employee made a snap decision Monday when a woman drove off without paying for repairs.

He jumped on the roof of her Cadillac Escalade and held on during a high-speed, three-mile ride that ended outside Kansas City police headquarters.

Another auto shop employee followed in another vehicle and told police that he tried to stop the Cadillac by firing shots at its tires. One of the bullets hit the driver’s side door.

Police said it was a miracle that no one was injured in the incident that began shortly before 3 p.m. Monday at 24th Street and Indiana Avenue.

According to police reports, a woman who had left her vehicle at the shop for repairs was told she needed to pay $3,000 and would owe an additional $700 storage fee if she left it there.

When she got in and started driving away without paying, the employee jumped on top. From his perch, he called 911 to report a stolen vehicle.

When the driver steered onto Interstate 70, all he could do was hold on.

The woman told police that when she left the shop, she intended to drive to police headquarters. When another car pulled alongside and a man in that car began shooting at her vehicle, she began weaving through traffic until she arrived outside headquarters downtown.

The woman and the man who allegedly fired the shots were taken into custody while detectives attempted to sort out the incident.

This story was originally published January 6, 2015 at 10:32 AM with the headline "KC auto shop worker survives three-mile I-70 ride atop SUV."