Man decides to steal car instead of walk home after boozefest

[matcom]

<snip>

Police accused a Putnam Lake man who was facing the prospect of a long walk home after a night of drinking of instead helping himself to a 2003 Cadillac parked in the driveway of a home on Route 164.

But because the Cadillac was equipped with the OnStar vehicle-assistance system, police were able to trace the car and arrest the man, who, police said, was asleep behind the wheel when Deputy David Rampolla found it parked near Putnam Lake.

Police said Michael Nickerson, 21, of Remsen Road, told Investigator Nicholas Deperno that after a night of drinking, he found himself walking along the road and spotted the car parked in a driveway. He got inside the car, found a valet key in the glove box and stole the vehicle, police said.

Around 6:30 a.m. Friday, a resident of the home where the car was parked called police to report the theft. The Cadillac belongs to the caller's 76-year-old father, who was visiting from Florida.

Rampolla went to the house and, after learning that the General Motors car was equipped with OnStar, which includes a global-positioning satellite transceiver, he contacted the OnStar operator.

http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/082404/b03p24putonstar.html

[eyesroll]

1. "Of course I'm driving, ossiffer...

I'm too walk to drunk."