Melbourne Family Tracks Stolen Car Using AirPods, Recovers Vehicle After Hours-Long Chase

A Melbourne family, while saying goodbye to their dying grandmother at Sunshine Hospital, had their 2016 Holden Commodore stolen from the hospital car park. Using location updates from Apple AirPods left inside the car, they tracked the vehicle and chased it for two to three hours through northern and eastern Melbourne despite dangerous driving by the thief and obstacles from another car assisting the thief. The family called police during the pursuit but reportedly received no assistance. The chase ended when the stolen car was found abandoned near a court. The family expressed the emotional value of the vehicle and the risks they took to recover it, emphasizing their desperation and the significance of the car to them. This incident highlights both the innovative use of technology in vehicle recovery and the challenges faced by victims during police response delays.