Daily Mail
February 1, 2014
A paraplegic man has been accused of stealing a car from a dealership by holding his cane down on the accelerator.
Shamal Battice visited a dealership in Ocala, Florida, on Wednesday and told a salesman he wanted to swap his wheelchair for a faster ride.
But when dealer Anselmo ‘Chico’ Barreto allowed him to sit in a Pontiac G6, Battice allegedly locked it, turned the key in the ignition and pressed his extending cane down on the pedal before driving away.
Ocala police then chased Battice to the Alachua-Marion County line, where Alachua officials carried on the chase, before also giving up.
Battice was eventually spotted trying to refill the white sedan in Bradford County, almost 60 miles from where he first started.
Battice has been charged with driving while having a suspended or revoked license, and faces a possible charge of grand theft auto from law enforcement officials.
According to the Ocala Star Banner, Mr Barreto saw no harm in letting Battice sit in the vehicle as he has sold cars to people in his condition before and never had a problem.