Colorado woman tries to steal pickup but can’t handle the stick shift, police say

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado woman’s attempt to steal a pickup truck — shortly after she was released from jail on a car theft charge — was thwarted not by officers, nor the truck’s owners, but by her inability to drive a stick shift, Boulder Police said.

The woman had been released from jail on May 3 after being accused of stealing a car a day earlier, and walked down the road until she spotted a pickup truck with the keys inside. She then started the pickup but apparently discovered she couldn’t manage the manual transmission, so she got out and walked away, leaving the truck to roll forward and strike a fire hydrant, police said.

The woman was arrested and now has a May 30 court date on new charges of motor vehicle theft, careless driving, driving without a license and failing to report the crash.

The truck was returned to its owner, police said.

Police titled a social media post about the case “Stick Shift FTW,” which is an acronym for “for the win.”

Stick Shift FTW

Not a standard recommendation for car theft prevention, but this past Friday a stick shift kept a thief from getting far in a stolen car.

It was just after 4:30 p.m. when officers were called to Airport Boulevard for a report of a truck that had crashed into a… pic.twitter.com/1UTBGwlSem

— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) May 7, 2024