I went on a ride along Saturday night 12/31 on the mid shift at my local PD. Not 5 minutes into briefing dispatch comes on and says a 10-99 vehicle report from onstar currently on street XXX (1/2 mile away). Every one tears out of the station (Mid Shift + Swing Shift (they overlap) + a handful of DWI overtime Officers)
The area in question qucikly becomes saturated with Officers. Mildly frustating as Onstar update every 30 seconds. So the Onstar person updates dispatcher who updates officers, but it is a touch too late. This truck (newer GMC ext cab) is driving like a bat out of hell. Truck thinks he lost Officers in resendtial area and is now on lone of the main roads driving fast but not nearly as fast as he was. Turning into another resdential area and spots a cop coming up from behind. Changes direction and blows the light out on to the flood control dikes. Driving 70+ on an area where 25 makes my teeth chatter. Well he ends up in an area where he can get boxed in. They (four) ditch the truck and bail.
This is Fairbanks, Alaska, it is -10 and they are running into knee deep snow. We come up seconds after they bailed (second car in pursuit) and can smell the marijuana 30 feet before we hit the car.
Two of the occupants are quickly caught (driver and one passenger). Fortunatley there are 2 K9's on sceene within minutes (first officer in pursuit was a K9). Within about 10 minutes they had found them.
After it was all sorted out the uncovered that these kids (14-17) had broken into a house and partied. They then stole the truck from the garage. They had trashed the house. Ended up finding drugs and scales.
Total charges went something like Vehicle Theft, MICS, Home Invasion, Felony Elude
Truck was recovered in what looked like undamaged condition (will need air freshner for some time)
Without Onstar I would have to believe that this would not have been the case.