New Patient Checks In — Then Checks Out in the Rehab’s Ride!
It was supposed to be a fresh start. But instead of kicking old habits, one new arrival at a local rehab center allegedly made a fast break — behind the wheel of the center’s company van!
Deputies were dispatched to the scene after a Recovery Ranch employee noticed something odd on his way back from errands: the facility’s van driving past him. He thought nothing of it… until he got back to the center and realized a client and the vehicle were both missing.
Cue the panic.
The female owner of the rehab facility told officers the patient had just been checked in that day and was believed to be headed back to Charleston, West Virginia, where his father lives. Problem was, no one had the plate number, VIN, or registration info at the time — making the missing vehicle tough to track.
But the mystery didn’t last long.
Later that night, the center provided tracking info, and authorities launched a BOLO alert and notified West Virginia law enforcement. The next morning, deputies got a break: the van was found abandoned on Delta Drive in Charleston, with no one in or around it.
It was towed by American Towing, and now sits waiting to be claimed — along with the lingering question: Where’s the driver?
Vanishing Act Tips: If your vehicle goes missing:
- Call law enforcement immediately
- Provide the VIN, plate number, and registration
- Consider installing GPS tracking
- Always secure your keys — especially when around new guests
