An East St. Louis man was stopped by police and arrested at gunpoint for driving a stolen car — except the vehicle was a loaner lawfully provided to him by his car dealership. The dealership is now on the hook for punitive damages in the St. Clair County Circuit Court.
According to a complaint filed on May 26, plaintiff Michael Guyton dropped his vehicle off to defendant Cardinal Buick GMC of Belleville for repairs in March of 2021. Unbeknownst to him, before the car was loaned out, its license plate number was reported to law enforcement as stolen.
Guyton was stopped by the Washington Park Police Department, arrested at gunpoint and jailed for driving the loaner vehicle.
His suit against the dealership claims it failed to keep track of the license plate number that they reported stolen and allowed it to be kept on a vehicle that was to be driven by customers.
He claims severe and emotional distress has caused him to suffer great mental anguish. He further claims he has incurred a loss of wages and earnings in the past and in the future, and he has been and will in the future be compelled to obligate himself for medical care and attention, and he has become liable for certain doctor, hospital and pharmaceutical expenses.
The defendant is charged with one count of negligence, one count of rep ipsa loquitor, one count of breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose and one count of breach of implied warranty of merchantability.
Guyton requests at least $50,000 in judgment against the defendant for each count.
He is represented by Matthew J. Marlen of Belleville.
St. Clair County case number 22-LA-441.