RPD: Stolen car crashes into street sign and parked car

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester Police say a stolen car crashed into a street sign and parked car on Thursday morning. The car crashed on Depew Street and RPD says the suspect escaped before they arrived.

RPD Officers got a call around 4:30 a.m. that a car, a Ford Escape, was stolen from West Avenue. Officers said the car was left running and unattended by the owner.

Soon after, officers responded to a crash at nearby Depew Street and found the stolen car. Police say the car struck the street sign and the parked car with no one inside before resting on the front lawn of a home.

The car was returned to the owner. Police are investigating and asking anyone with information to call 911.

Car thefts have increased recently, especially for Kia and Hyundai models. RPD says that 374 cars were reported stolen so far this year as of Feb. 9. That’s on pace to shatter last year’s total. Of those stolen cars, about 300 have been returned to their owners.