Gurnee couple upset after watching video of their car on 96-mph joy ride
Editor's note: The name of Gurnee Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram's general manager is Todd Thommes.
A dashboard-camera video showing a car dealership employee driving at 96 mph in a compact Dodge Caliber SRT that was in for service has a Gurnee couple crying foul.
Drew Hovorka said it was out of curiosity Wednesday morning that he watched what the dash-cam had captured while his car was at Gurnee Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. He said the 8½-minute video showed a joy ride.
"I was pretty upset," said Hovorka, who retrieved his car Tuesday after it received routine 100,000-mile maintenance that cost about $1,950.
Gurnee Dodge general manager Todd Thommes didn't return numerous messages seeking comment.
Dash-cam video dated Tuesday shows the Hovorkas' car being driven by an unidentified technician from the dealership's service area onto a side street, then west on Grand Avenue. The 2008 four-door hatchback then traveled north on Route 45, where the Garmin dash-cam indicated the speed reached 82 mph.
From Route 45, the vehicle was driven east on Stearns School Road, where the dash-cam showed a speed of 96 mph.
"This is not normal," Christine Hovorka said, "and, thankfully, we had the camera."
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said Illinois' eavesdropping law would not apply in the case.
"No, you don't have an expectation of privacy with somebody else's car," Nerheim said.
Nerheim said he'd encourage the couple to file a report with Gurnee police. He said police would be expected to view the video and refer the case to the state's attorney's office for possible charges.
Christine Hovorka said the video will make her rethink where to bring the couple's car the next time it needs service.
Similar to other brands, the Garmin dash-cam that was in the Dodge Caliber SRT is automatically activated when a vehicle is turned on. In addition to noting a vehicle's speed, it can record crashes or hard braking.
Drew Hovorka said he received the $250 model for Christmas.