Teen Steals Family Hearse, Goes on Joyride: Police

A teenage girl found herself in handcuffs yesterday after an alleged joyride in a unique family vehicle.

Carly Zale is accused of stealing a hearse from the Zale Funeral Home on the 700 block of N White Horse Pike in Stratford, N.J., just before 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Zale, 18, is the daughter of the funeral home’s owner, according to Stratford Township Police.

Police say she took the black 2000 Cadillac hearse from an open garage at the funeral home. On her way out of the garage, Zale struck the garage wall, according to police.

There was no body in the hearse at the time, according to police.

Pennsauken Police recovered the hearse on Route 130 Tuesday afternoon. They arrested Zale and charged her with vehicle theft, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

The was the second time in three months that a hearse was stolen from the funeral home. It’s unclear who committed the earlier theft.

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