Roxy15
All-Conference
KENT, Wash. -- Most new dads probably remember where they were right after their baby was born, but for a new Kent father, the story of his daughter's arrival will include the part about how he accidentally stole a car.
Sultan Berry had been up all night at Valley Medical Center in Renton as his wife gave birth to their first baby girl Alia.
He may have been dog tired, but he needed to get to a job interview in Tacoma. He asked to borrow his mother-in-law's car. She gave him the keys and he headed for the hospital parking lot.
"I'm looking for a gray Toyota Camry which I've only seen once or twice," Berry said. "Open the car door, turn the ignition car on and drive to Tacoma."
The only problem -- the key somehow started a car that didn't belong to his mother-in-law.
Sultan's interview goes fine, but the car won't start when he tries to head back to the hospital.
"I called my wife and said, 'the car's not starting'... she asks me 'did I break the car?' " Berry said.
That's when he realizes all is not right.
"I'm looking around and the car looks different -- it's looking a little old," Berry said.
Then it dawns on him -- he's in someone else's Camry.
"So I'm looking through the glove compartment and I realize this is not my mother-in-law's car," he said. "So I called my wife and told her, 'I think I just just stole someone else's car.' "
He said he went to the local police station.
"I walk into the police station and tell them I accidentally stole someone's car," he said.
Berry says at first, they didn't buy it. But after trying his key...
"They started laughing at me and they reassured me that everything would be fine," he said. "My key started it -- a 2003 key for a Toyota Camry started a 1994 Toyota Camry."
The police told him to leave the car at the station and left a voice mail for the car's rightful owner.
"I also left a note stating that I apologize and forgive me for taking your car," Berry said. He also offered to pay for the gas he used.
He had to hitch a ride with his brother-in-law back to the hospital. He is back with his family and his newborn daughter with a story to tell her when she gets a bit older.
Sultan Berry had been up all night at Valley Medical Center in Renton as his wife gave birth to their first baby girl Alia.
He may have been dog tired, but he needed to get to a job interview in Tacoma. He asked to borrow his mother-in-law's car. She gave him the keys and he headed for the hospital parking lot.
"I'm looking for a gray Toyota Camry which I've only seen once or twice," Berry said. "Open the car door, turn the ignition car on and drive to Tacoma."
The only problem -- the key somehow started a car that didn't belong to his mother-in-law.
Sultan's interview goes fine, but the car won't start when he tries to head back to the hospital.
"I called my wife and said, 'the car's not starting'... she asks me 'did I break the car?' " Berry said.
That's when he realizes all is not right.
"I'm looking around and the car looks different -- it's looking a little old," Berry said.
Then it dawns on him -- he's in someone else's Camry.
"So I'm looking through the glove compartment and I realize this is not my mother-in-law's car," he said. "So I called my wife and told her, 'I think I just just stole someone else's car.' "
He said he went to the local police station.
"I walk into the police station and tell them I accidentally stole someone's car," he said.
Berry says at first, they didn't buy it. But after trying his key...
"They started laughing at me and they reassured me that everything would be fine," he said. "My key started it -- a 2003 key for a Toyota Camry started a 1994 Toyota Camry."
The police told him to leave the car at the station and left a voice mail for the car's rightful owner.
"I also left a note stating that I apologize and forgive me for taking your car," Berry said. He also offered to pay for the gas he used.
He had to hitch a ride with his brother-in-law back to the hospital. He is back with his family and his newborn daughter with a story to tell her when she gets a bit older.
