Utah man buys car, drives it through dealership later after return request denied

A man in Sandy, Utah, was arrested after he intentionally drove a car he had purchased hours earlier into the storefront of the same dealership when his request to return the vehicle was denied.

Michael Murray, 35, bought a Subaru Outback from Tim Dahle Mazda Southtowne on Monday morning. Later that day, he claimed to have discovered mechanical issues with the car, calling it a “lemon”.

Hoping to return the vehicle, Murray returned to the dealership, but the management declined his request, citing the “as-is” terms of the sale.

According to Sandy Police, Murray became irate and threatened to drive the car through the dealership’s front door if his money wasn’t refunded. Around 4 pm, he made good on the threat, crashing the vehicle through the dealership’s entrance.

The incident caused approximately USD 10,000 in damages. While seven employees were near the front door at the time, no injuries were reported. Murray was subsequently arrested and booked on charges of felony criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.

Aylin Hernandez, an employee of the dealership, expressed relief at not being present during the incident. “What would’ve happened? Who knows – it could’ve been fatal,” she said. “He came back, but with a rage… without thinking, he just acted out in rage.”

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