INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis man says his car was stolen during an elaborate scheme that started with a minor fender-bender.
David Zakutansky was driving his leased 2015 Dodge Dart on 56th Street, just east of Post Road Wednesday night.
"Friends and relatives have kind of joked you know that the car was a decent car, but it didn't seem like it was worth stealing and you know it just was a real suspicious fender bender,” said Zakutansky.
Zakutansky said he was one of the only vehicles on the road and was driving about 30 mph when he was rear-ended by another vehicle.
Both vehicles pulled over and while he and the other driver were ‘assessing’ the damage, Zakutansky said a hidden passenger in the second vehicle jumped into his car and took off.
Now, after the fact, he said he remembers the signs that should have let him know something was ‘off.’
“And that's probably my suggestion - If it just doesn't add up, a couple of lane changes behind me that didn't seem to make a big deal at that time, but then getting hit at 30 miles an hour with no one else on the road... this guy is either pretty inebriated or something is up, " said Zakutansky.
Lawrence police say this type of scam isn’t very common, but this isn’t the first time they’ve seen it.
