Bride Helps Police Chase Down Stolen Car, with Wedding Dress and Decorations Inside, Just Days Before Her Ceremony

A Massachusetts couple almost lost everything they needed for their wedding when their packed car was stolen — but the quick-thinking bride helped police track it down.

According to WHDH, Julia Pallis and Collin Tully were about to leave for their Vermont wedding from their Boston-area home on Thursday, Aug. 28, when the theft happened.

Pallis said the car was “packed to the brim” with boxes, drinks, signs, decorations — and her wedding dress.

Tully, a Boston firefighter, explained that he left the car running and went back inside to get his fiancée. “In what could only have been a minute, minute and a half tops … I walked outside to not having a car anymore,” he told WHDH.

At first, Pallis thought about her wallet and cards, then remembered her laptop was inside too. That’s when she realized she could track the laptop’s location.

She got into her own car and started following the thief while giving live updates to police. “She acted quickly, got in her personal car, and tracked the car until police cruisers could eventually catch up to her,” Tully said.

The stolen car ended up passing a police officer working a detail, and Pallis was able to alert her. “Honestly, that officer … we owe her our whole wedding. She’s the MVP,” Pallis said.

Police in Bridgewater said they were alerted around 8:42 a.m. that the stolen vehicle had entered their city. With Pallis’ updates, officers soon located the car. Working with East Bridgewater police, they caught up to the driver, identified as 31-year-old Jason Grossett, and arrested him.

Authorities confirmed that all the belongings — including Pallis’ wedding gown — were recovered. No one was hurt. Grossett now faces several charges, including failure to stop for police, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license.

Tully praised his fiancée’s quick action. “Maybe inside, she was a little angry, but she was a rock star on the outside for sure,” he told WHDH.

The couple went ahead with their wedding weekend as planned. Pallis said the experience made them even more confident about their future together. “[We’re] even more confident after going through this than we were before that,” she said. “We’re making the right choice.”