Utah Man Arrested After Crashing Car Through Front Door of Sandy Dealership

On Monday afternoon, a dramatic incident unfolded at Tim Dahle Mazda Southtowne in Sandy, Utah, when a man drove his newly purchased car through the front doors of the dealership. According to Sgt. Greg Moffitt of the Sandy Police Department, the man, identified as Michael Lee Murray, 35, had bought the car earlier in the day but returned to the dealership several hours later due to mechanical issues he discovered with the vehicle.

Murray had purchased the car “as is,” a condition clearly stated in the sales contract. However, upon finding problems with the vehicle, he demanded a refund. When the dealership refused, citing the “as is” clause, Murray threatened to drive his car through the front doors if his money was not returned.

True to his threat, Murray drove the car through the front doors of the dealership around 4 p.m. on Monday. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, although seven employees had to jump or move out of the way to avoid being hit. The damage to the building and another vehicle on the sales floor was estimated at around $10,000.

Murray was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of felony criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and economic interruption. The incident has left employees and management at the dealership shaken but grateful that no one was hurt.

Tyler Slade, the general manager at Tim Dahle Mazda Southtowne, expressed sympathy for the customer but emphasized the dealership’s efforts to resolve the issue through other means before the incident escalated. Slade noted that the dealership was willing to help Murray but could not calm him down, leading to the dramatic and destructive outcome.