Car theft incident in Chelyabinsk fueled by key left in ignition

In the Chelyabinsk region, a Volkswagen owner faced an unexpected upheaval when a random acquaintance of the driver seized the car while police were detaining the owner for a routine check. This incident was shared through the Telegram channel of the regional ministry’s law enforcement office. The situation began when officers noticed signs that the driver might be intoxicated and suggested taking a sobriety check in the patrol car. While the conversation about testing was happening, the passenger, who had no known affiliation with the vehicle, observed that the ignition key had been left in the car and decided to make a move of his own. He opened the car, climbed inside, and drove off in someone else’s vehicle as the officers focused on the driver’s condition and the procedure at hand. The moment the key was forgotten in the ignition created a door for a momentary lapse in security that a quick-thinking bystander would later describe as a critical mistake that escalated into a theft in seconds.