Corvette joyride through Pearland lands Florida man in jail

Ronald Francis Kelly, 44, of Florida, was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle after allegedly taking a joy ride in a Corvette he was transporting. Ronald Francis Kelly, 44, of Florida, was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle after allegedly taking a joy ride in a Corvette he was transporting. Photo: Pearland Police Department Photo: Pearland Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Corvette joyride through Pearland lands Florida man in jail 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Florida trucker who allegedly took a joyride in a Corvette he was transporting through Texas is spending his 44th birthday in the Brazoria County jail.

Ronald Francis Kelly, of Seabring Fla., was arrested Jan. 2 in Pearland and remained in jail Tuesday on a charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle. His bond was set at $20,000.

Pearland police said Kelly was a driver for an auto transport company, taking vehicles from Arizona to Florida.

He had a two-day layover in the Houston area to wait for more cars from an auction. While waiting, Kelly parked his truck at a Walmart store in west Pearland and took a 2011 Corvette off the trailer, according to a news release from the Pearland Police Department.

After climbing behind the wheel of the pricey sports car, Kelly allegedly picked up his girlfriend and took her to dinner, police said.

On their way to the La Quinta Inn on West Broadway, the couple were stopped because of a problem with the vehicle's registration, the news release said.

Kelly told police he was authorized to drive the Corvette, but officers called the owners of the car and the transport company, both of whom said Kelly had permission to operate the cars only to load and unload them.

The Corvette's owner was adamant about filing charges, the news release said.

Kelly was arrested, while his girlfriend was released, the release said.