This is the story of Darren, a reformed car thief who agreed to an interview for baitcar.com after he was captured by an IMPACT bait car. Darren did not conduct this interview to build his own notoriety, in fact, the oposite is true. He did it educate the public about the true extent of the problem and to prevent other young people from making the same mistakes he did - namely, drug experimentation that lead to two addictions: crystal meth and car theft.
Darren first tried crystal meth when he was 15-years-old and by the age of 17 this destructive drug had a powerful hold on his life. He used the drug in the rave scene, but after he was taught how to steal cars by a meth trafficker, he began using them to transport stolen property from apartment storage locker break-ins, mail thefts, and theft from vehicles. Darren states that he has stolen hundreds of cars which in itself became a second addiction where he stole "for the rush".
Darren speaks freely about how crystal meth almost killed him when, after a meth binge that lasted for 12 straight days and nights without sleep, his throat became swollen shut and he required emergency hospitalization to save his life. He also described drug fuelled high-speed escapes from police in stolen cars where he almost struck innocent pedestrians, including a child beside a school. Darren is now 23-years-old, but he feels that the past eight years have been stolen from him - he was the "walking dead".
Darren's message is clear: crystal meth and car theft stole his life, and nearly stole the lives of innocent people. He spent the last two birthdays in jail, including the last two summers. His memory is severely compromised and he has trouble remembering simple events in his life. If you don't believe crystal meth is destructive, listen to what Darren has to say.
Darren's story is not unique. Virtually every suspect arrested by IMPACT investigators in a stolen car is in possession of crystal meth. Their stories are so similar they sound the same. They usually tried meth and were addicted faster than they thought possible. They began stealing cars as a way to transport them to the sites of other crimes where they would steal property to raise cash to buy more meth. It is a cycle that repeats itself day after day after day. The only way to stop the cycle is to seek help to free themselves from the meth addiction. 
