2 Norristown Teens, 1 Man Stole Car, Crashed It, Then Fled: Police

NORRISTOWN, PA — Three Norristown residents, including two teenagers and a man, were arrested after crashing a stolen vehicle in Wayne Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred on Saturday, Jan. 25 at around 4 p.m.

The group was driving the stolen Toyota on Lancaster Avenue when it was reported for driving recklessly, authorities said. Authorities said the vehicle was stolen in Marple Township via a USB port, which is part of a larger TikTok trend.

Police used license plate tracking technology to learn the vehicle went through the Lancaster-North Wayne intersection shortly thereafter.

Radnor officers were nearby at West Lancaster and Conestoga avenues and saw the vehicle turn down Conestoga and speed off, police said.

Other officers saw the vehicle and tried to stop it, but the vehicle kept driving and eventually crashed into a tree on a residential property at Brookside Avenue and Orchard Way in Saint Davids.

The three suspects inside the vehicle all ran off after the crash, police said. Two of the three, one teen and 18-year-old Carter Darden, were apprehended quickly, while the third eluded capture for about an hour, officials said.

During the search for the third suspect, neighbors in the area were urged to remain indoors.

The third suspect was taken into custody without incident not far from the Radnor Township Building.

Darden was charged with motor vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of an instrument of crime, and endangering the welfare of children due to the two passengers being underage, according to police.

He is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for a Feb. 6 preliminary hearing.

The two others are charged with conspiracy to commit vehicle theft.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Max Bennett