While we are all still recovering from the horrific tragedy that took place during this year's Boston Marathon, it's important that we take the time to be thankful that advanced technology is able to assist in situations where a terrorist needs to be quickly tracked down. In this instance, a Mercedes-Benz SUV equipped with the brand's mbrace 2™ tracking system aided authorities in locating Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
During the aftermath of the bombings, a 26 year old Chinese man known as "Danny" was driving in the Boston area when he took the time to pull over his Mercedes Benz ML350 SUV to respond to a text message. Moments later, a sedan stopped behind him to unveil Tamerlan with a weapon. He proceeded to hijack the SUV and demanded that "Danny" drive him where he needed to go.
Tamerlan instructed "Danny" to stop for several errands, while they continued to be followed by the sedan driven by 19 year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. After handing over his wallet, "Danny" then gave away his bank pin and continued to be cooperative as he feared for his life. When he was later ordered to stop at a gas station, "Danny" quickly took the opportunity to exit the vehicle and run away. His first instinct was to call and turn on the vehicle's tracking system. Once police were notified they were able to quickly track down the location and confront the terrorists, a major development during the incident.
Here at Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury, we are proud to see the technology offered in the new Mercedes-Benz lineup is helpful in more ways than one. Luckily for "Danny," he was able to think on his feet and use technology to his advantage. Although these events were incredibly unfortunate, all of us in the greater Shrewsbury, MA area have to be thankful for the courageous individuals who were able to assist in capturing the bombers to put a final end to the chase.