(Photo: MSP)
LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - New technology used to stop drivers in Livonia helped recover a stolen car Thursday on I-96.
Now, three people are in custody and the stolen vehicle is missing its rear axle.
The backstory:
According to Michigan State Police, troopers on patrol in Detroit around 7:25 a.m. spotted a stolen Chevrolet Cruze and began following the vehicle. The driver, later identified as a 27-year-old Brighton man, got onto westbound I-96 and continued driving into Livonia.
Troopers called Livonia police, who have a new tool, called a grappler, that uses a net to grab a vehicle's rear tires to stop it. Livonia officers responded and deployed the grappler on the freeway near Stark Road.
Learn more about the grappler here.
MSP said the driver tried to keep going after the grappler captured the tires, causing the rear axle to be ripped off the Cruze.
The driver and his two female passengers were both arrested.
No one was hurt.
A Game Changer: Livonia police catch alleged drunk driver with new 'Grappler' tool
The Livonia Police Department can now catch bad guys with a big net during car chases, with officials calling it a game-changer.
What they're saying:
"We continue to use technology to find and stop criminals in our communities," said MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw. "Thanks to the Livonia Police Department and their grappler device, these suspects are now in jail without the need for a pursuit."
The Source: Michigan State Police and Livonia police provided information for this story.
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