Passenger Involved in Police Pursuit, Crash Sues Rental Franchisee

A Thrifty Car Rental franchisee is being sued after renting a car to a driver who was later involved in a crash which occurred after a high-speed chase involving Charleston County, S.C. law enforcement.

According to WCSC News of Charleston County, the plaintiff was a passenger in the car involved in the chase. The plaintiff claims the Thrifty location, owned by GSP Transportation, Inc., rented the car without properly verifying the identity of the renter, who was facing multiple charges at the time.  

The incident, which occurred in 2017, began after the driver failed to stop for officers and led them in a high-speed chase. The car finally crashed into the woods and caught fire, according to the report.

The plaintiff sustained $470,000 in medical bills as a result of the accident. The lawsuit did not say if the plaintiff knew the driver.