A sales associate from Balise Honda was held against is will during a test drive and almost taken across state lines.

The general manager here tells us the sales associate is doing alright. He is home safe, but the car thief is still on the loose.

According to West Springfield police, around 1:00 Thursday afternoon Aleh Kot, 32, of West Springfield walked into Balise Honda on Riverdale Street. He told a sales associate he wanted to test drive a Honda. Balise was short-staffed, so the sales associate took Kot for a test drive himself, even though that's not part of his normal daily duties.

Before getting into a 2010 black Honda Accord, the sales associate made sure he looked at Kot's driver's license. He jotted down notes but didn't make a photocopy of it as is company policy. Once the paper work was done, they hit the highway, going Westbound on the Mass Pike.

Police say Kot was "white knuckle driving." He would not slow down and he refused to exit the highway. In fact, he drove the Accord all the way to the state boarder.

When they hit toll booth traffic in West Stockbridge, the sales associate jumped out. Before he could alert anyone, Kot drove off. He passed through the tolls and was on his way to New York the last time anyone saw him.

The sales associate returned to Balise in West Springfield unharmed. He told police the man who stole the car never showed a weapon.

Police will seek a warrant for Kot's arrest Friday morning for kidnapping and larceny of a motor vehicle.