History Main / MurderByRemoteControlVehicle

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[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Series/MacGyver2016'': The episode "[=CO2=] Sensor + Tree Branch" had a hacker taking over "Bruno", the military-grade (read:tank-like) car drone developed by Mac's GirlOfTheWeek and going on a destructive rampage that was going to culminate with it shooting up the Pentagon unless the Phoenix team stopped it. The hacker turned out to be the (former) computer mogul who originally organized the drone competition that "Bruno" was built for, who was protesting [[ScientistVsSoldier the military's decision]] to take over his contest (even ruining him when he refused) and use it to find tech for next-generation [[AttackDrone Attack Drones]] when he explicitly wanted the drones to be used for ferrying wounded soldiers trapped in hostile territory.

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "Target", a remote control device planted by a stalker causes Lois's car to go out of control while on an overpass. When Clark attempts to save her, the airbag is triggered, trapping her in the car.

* ''Series/MurderSheWrote'': In "Hit, Run and Homicide", the murderer uses a remote controlled station wagon to run over a pedestrian. While bicycling about a wooded area, Jessica discovers the murder weapon and decides to take a closer look at the station wagon's inner workings. Once inside, however, she becomes trapped when someone in a van operates the remote control device to lock her inside, to activate the automobile's engine, and to steer her away at a dangerous speed, en route to an overhang above the rocky seacoast.
* In the ''Series/MidsomerMurders'' episode "Shot at Dawn", the murderer uses remote control vehicles several times, either by crashing a vehicle the victim is in or using a vehicle to chase someone down.
* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'': In "Murder Ex Machina", the two shooters who kill a Russian oligarch and his bodyguard are then killed themselves when the controls of their car are hacked causing them to drive off a bridge.
* ''Series/CSICyber'': In "Gone in Six Seconds", a hacker called 'Smokescreen' drag races a driverless vehicle remotely, forcing it into another car and killing the driver. Brody later ends up in the car as it is being controlled by the hacker.

* On two different episodes of ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', the Number of the Week has his car hacked in and forced to accelerate (and disabling all other controls), which makes Reese and Finch run to try to stop the car/counter-hack the car before it inevitably crashes.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E4TheSontaranStratagem The Sontaran Stratagem]]" starts with a journalist being killed by his own car when its emissions reduction system (part of a planet-conquering ploy by the eponymous Sontarans) takes over. The Doctor is then himself trapped in a car controlled by a murderous AI, but escapes by using a LogicBomb. (The AI had been programmed to kill the Doctor and to disobey any order the Doctor gave it, so the Doctor ordered it to kill him.)
* '' Series/{{NCIS}}'': One episode has someone sabotaging an experimental self-driving car so anybody who gets in it and triggers a certain type of actions related to maintenance will be trapped and suffocated with the car's redirected fumes. This is what happens to the VictimOfTheWeek and ''almost'' happens to Abby.

* ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'': Season 7 brought "Danger on the Hazzard Express," where Boss schemes with two robbers plan to steal the General Lee and, after placing a remote-control device in the engine and steering gear, use it to crash into a train carrying $2 million to the state's reserve. The trope kicks into effect when the robbers – realizing that Bo and Luke will come after them – plan to kidnap the Duke boys, restrain them inside the car and then crash the car into the train. (Boss, knowing what this means, immediately turns against his associates when they refuse to back down. And of course, the Duke boys do manage to regain control of the car and eventually defeat the bad guys.)

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': In "Target", a remote control device planted by a stalker causes Lois's car to go out of control while on an overpass. When Clark attempts to save her, the airbag is triggered, tapping her in the car.

* In TheTeaser to ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', Blofeld (although he is never named as such) fakes a message from Bond's office and sends a helicopter to pick him up. He then kills the pilot and assumes remote control of the chopper. Taunting Bond, he causes the chopper to make several near misses on high buildings before steering it into a disused factory where it will inevitably crash. Bond (naturally) manages to disable the remote control and regain control of the helicopter before the crash.

* ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'': Robin and Spoiler were once able to escape after being surrounded by a heavily armed group of gangsters ''and'' take the costumed criminal Tim had been investigating--who had gotten on the gangsters' wrong side--into custody by making the gangsters scatter when the remote controlled [[CoolCar Redbird]] looked like it was going to run over them.

* ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'': Season 7 brought "Danger on the Hazzard Express," where Boss schemes with two robbers plan to steal the General Lee and, after placing a remote-control device in the engine and steering gear, use it to crash into a train carrying $2 million to the state's reserve. The trope kicks into effect when the robbers – realizing that Bo and Luke will come after them – plans to kidnap the Duke boys, restrain them inside the car and then crash the car into the train. (Boss, knowing what this means, immediately turns against his associates when they refuse to back down. And of course, the Duke boys do manage to regain control of the car and eventually defeat the bad guys.)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman'': In "The Deadly Dish", Luthor attempts to run Perry White over with a remote control steamroller. By implication, the pile driver and wrecking ball he uses to try and kill Jimmy and Lois must also be remote controlled.

!! Examples:

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Film]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* In a [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Franchise/{{Batman}} story, a villain called the Outsider was able to take control of Batman's equipment from a distance (and break the laws of physics). He tries to kill Batman by seizing control of the Batmobile and making it drive up the wall of a building, and then off a bridge.

* In ''Series/MadamSecretary'', Liz is sure that her old CIA colleague George's [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident death in a car accident wasn't an accident]], based on timing. She's right: Juliet sabotaged the car's computer.

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[[AC: Comic Books]]

[[AC: Film]]

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

One reason for doing this is the villain wishes to watch their demise while remaining at a safe distance. If this is the case, expect the villain to have installed a speaker in the vehicle so they can taunt the hero, and to give the hero a few close shaves before going for the kill. The hero will use this time to come up with a clever escape from the situation.

Compare CarFu.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode "The Mechanic" has the Penguin discover a garage where the Batmobile's designer maintains Batman's vehicles. The Penguin holds the designer's daughter hostage and forces the designer to booby-trap the Batmobile, including giving Penguin the ability to control it remotely.

* '' Series/{{NCIS}}'': One episode has someone sabotaging an experimental self-driving car so anybody who gets in it and triggers a certain type of actions related to maintenance will be trapped and suffocated with the car's redirected fumes. This is what happens to the VictimOfTheWeek and ''almost'' happens to [=McGee=].

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E4TheSontaranStratagem The Sontaran Stratagem]]" starts with a journalist being killed by his own car when its emissions reduction system (part of a planet-conquering ploy by the eponymous Sontarans) takes over.