Stolen Car Had 30 Vials of COVID Vaccine

A car thief in Florida got away not just with a vehicle but with 30 vials of coronavirus vaccine, reports ABC News. Authorities don't think the thief knew about the vaccine, which police estimate to be worth $10,000, per the AP. The strange incident took place Wednesday afternoon in Plant City, near Tampa. A driver with CDR Maguire, a contractor helping with the logistics of vaccinations in the city, left the car running as he got out to find a security guard at a delivery site, says the company. After he exited, the thief helped himself to the Hyundai Accent.

“We have no reason to believe the thief knew the vials were in the car,” says CDR Maguire in a statement. The driver was supposed to deliver the vials to a festival fairgrounds site, but he apparently couldn't get in because of the crowd. That's when he left to find the guard. The vials were properly refrigerated when stolen. Given the unusual cargo, the vehicle with NPJJ58 plates is now the subject of a nationwide alert. (Another stolen vehicle was filled with dogs.)