Pickup, left running at Wawa in NJ, stolen and crashed 30 miles away

🔴A Ford pickup truck with the engine left running was stolen from a Wawa

🔴 The pickup was located 30 miles away after a wild chase on the Parkway

🔴 Joseph Cranmer was charged with 5 counts of assault by auto

BERKELEY – A pickup left with the engine running in the parking lot of a Wawa on Saturday afternoon was stolen and wound up in a crash 30 miles away.

Wall police Capt. Chad Clark said Joseph Cranmer, 37 of Little Egg Harbor got in the unlocked 1989 Ford F-350 at the Wawa on Route 34 around 4:30 p.m. and drove off

Cranmer led police on a chase on the Garden State Parkway driving recklessly and hitting other vehicles, according to  Clark.

The pickup was found 30 miles away on Route 9 in Berkeley after being heavily damaged, according to photos of the scene.

Cranmer ran from the scene but police tracked him down and arrested him, officials said.

Cranmer was charged with five counts of assault by auto and one count of receiving stolen property.

New Jersey idling law

Police did say the incident serves as a reminder to not leave vehicles unlocked and running. They also pointed out that leaving a vehicle idle for more than three minutes is illegal in New Jersey with some exceptions for extreme cold and repair work.

A first offense for a passenger vehicle is $100 and $250 for a commercial vehicle.

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