A Florida woman saw her friend’s stolen car so she chased it until police arrived

A Florida woman probably wasn’t expecting to spend part of her Monday afternoon chasing her friend’s car, but after the vehicle had been stolen and it was seen on the highway, that’s exactly what she did.

Tankia Andreson had been out with a friend on Nov. 26 when that friend told her she thought she saw a vehicle belonging to another of Anderson’s friend.

The vehicle in question, Anderson told CBS-affiliate 4 News Gainesville, had been stolen the night before Thanksgiving. She said her friend who owned the stolen Chevy Equinox had left her keys in the ignition when she ran into a home and when she came out, the car was gone.

“She thought she spotted it at the car wash, so I drove to the car wash and I seen the car,” she told NBC affiliate WNRW.

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Anderson began following the car but keeping a good distance so she wouldn’t be spotted.

She contacted police and informed them where the car was located, following the vehicle from Highway 40 in Ocala, Fla., onto the Interstate.

According to state trooper Brett Pittman, he spotted the car heading north after being notified about the stolen vehicle and activated his lights and sirens.

“The subject fled and the PIT maneuver by another vehicle stopped the car and both suspects were taken into custody,” Pittman said.

The PIT maneuver — a pursuit tactic used by law enforcement which can force a fleeing car to abruptly turn sideways, stop or even lose control — resulted in the vehicle to crash and end up on its side.

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Two people were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash and were later taken to hospital with minor injuries, CBS reports.

Anderson gave a cautionary note after what happened to her friend.

“Lock your houses up, lock everything… hide your kids, hide your wives,” she said laughing.

A 22-year-old male, the driver, now faces charges of eluding police, possession of marijuana and driving without a valid licence. The passenger, a 21-year-old woman who was also in the vehicle, was charged with violation of probation.