Criminal Minds (TV Series)

Collision Course (2017)

Damon Gupton: Stephen Walker

Photos 

Quotes 

• David Rossi : Everything okay?

  Emily Prentiss : No. I just heard from Jack Garrett from the IRT. We have a problem.

  David Rossi : [listening, he lets out a soft sigh]  Well, at least we got a heads up. Thanks.

  [hanging up, he turns to face JJ and Walker] 

  Jennifer Jareau : Everything okay?

  David Rossi : That was Emily.

  Stephen Walker : About Reid?

  David Rossi : She got some intel on the progress on the Mexican murder investigation. They found the murder weapon. It has Reid's blood and prints on it.

• David Rossi : We need an APB and to figure out where he's taking her.

  Penelope Garcia : Well, in order to have an all-points bulletin, I need to have points. And he has hacked into the DMV and deleted his entire account, so I can't find a car he's registered to, let along a license.

  Stephen Walker : Well, he's gotta drive a 2013 Meridian. Those were his first crashes.

  Jennifer Jareau : Right. And he chose those because he already figured out how to hack his own.

  Penelope Garcia : That makes sense. That narrows it down.

  David Rossi : Cross-check all the plates of 2013 Meridians with named owners. The one without a specified owner is our unsub.

  Penelope Garcia : [to Luke]  Stop staring at me when I'm search engining.

  Luke Alvez : I'm not. I'm sorry.

  Penelope Garcia : It's weird. Uh... I got it. It's a vanity plate, WUKO. I'm sending the APB now.

• David Rossi : Prentiss won't be joining us. She's on Reid duty for the time being. This one was referred to us by a fellow federal agency, the National Transportation Safety Board.

  Penelope Garcia : So, last week, two separate incidents. Two separate vehicles hit two separate pedestrians, crashed on the same stretch of road in Bradenton, Florida, just outside of Sarasota.

  Luke Alvez : And they're sure they were both accidents?

  David Rossi : No, they don't think so.

  Penelope Garcia : Both vehicles were 2013 Meridians, and both drivers said they lost control of the cars.

  David Rossi : The first pedestrian is alive, but the second one died of his injuries.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : And it wasn't a vehicle defect?

  David Rossi : That's what the NTSB suspected, but they've done extensive tests and they've ruled that out, along with hazardous road conditions.

  Jennifer Jareau : [looking at the report]  And they're saying driver error is unlikely, though the drivers suffered head injuries in the crashes and they can't recall any of the details.

  Stephen Walker : Same make and model vehicle, two drivers saying they lost control. It sounds like they're thinking hacker.

  David Rossi : Could be. Most cars made after 2009, regardless of make or model, are vulnerable to hacking.

  Luke Alvez : Is there any footage of the crashes?

  Penelope Garcia : Oh, yeah. Middle school security camera caught the moments of impact. Brace yourselves. It ain't pretty. Here we go.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : [Garcia plays the camera footage]  Oh, god. No swerving, no braking, and an unsub turning cars into murder weapons. That's terrifying.

  Luke Alvez : It could be a whole new frontier for serial killers.

  David Rossi : Well, Garcia, since your area of expertise is relevant on this one, I want you to join us in the field.

  Penelope Garcia : [excited]  Me? Going wheels up? Sir, yes, sir.

  David Rossi : Great. Wheels up in twenty.

• David Rossi : Garcia, what have you got for us?

  Penelope Garcia : Just this. Two drivers and two pedestrians.

  David Rossi : Well, the victimology on this case is going to be difficult.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : It's just hard to know who the unsub's intended victims are. And the drivers, the D.A.'s considering murder charges in both cases, not to mention the psychological damage this unsub's inflicted, or the pedestrians, or both.

  Luke Alvez : Any connection between the drivers and the people they hit?

  Penelope Garcia : Just what we already know. Both drivers had the same kind of vehicle and it happened at the same location. Besides that, nothing. So what does the unsub want?

  Jennifer Jareau : Well, he's causing death and destruction while exerting power and control.

  David Rossi : And creating a public spectacle.

  Luke Alvez : Maybe there's some paraphilia there, like an arsonist who likes to watch.

  Stephen Walker : If this is about voyeurism, that might make it sexual, and if so, he's not likely to stop.

  Penelope Garcia : [her computer chimes]  This just in. One of the drivers, Marta Calderon, she's agreed to an interview.

  David Rossi : All right. JJ, Luke, Garcia, you head the crash site. A special investigator from the NTSB will meet you there. Tara, Stephen, and I will go straight to the Bradenton P.D.

• Stephen Walker : [listening to a witness's cognitive interview]  I was hoping for driver error.

  David Rossi : This is a whole lot scarier.

• David Rossi : This unsub is what's known as a sadistic symphorophiliac.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : Symphorophilia is a type of paraphilia in which sexual arousal is derived from staging and then watching disasters, such as fires or, in this case, car accidents.

  Jennifer Jareau : Observing the destruction he causes is extremely important to this unsub.

  Stephen Walker : He enjoys watching the terror of the drivers whose cars he hijacks, as well as the impact with his chosen pedestrian victim.

  Luke Alvez : In order to watch, he hacks traffic cameras or in-car dashboard cameras, as well as dashboard mounted smartphones.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : Now, so far there's no apparent connection between the drivers of the vehicles and their pedestrian victims.

  David Rossi : Instead, it appears the drivers are selected based on the vehicles they drive.

  Stephen Walker : This pattern of vehicle selection was initially limited to a single make and model, but he has since expanded his hacking capabilities.

  David Rossi : We believe our unsub is a white male in his mid- to late twenties.

  Jennifer Jareau : This unsub is careful enough to select drivers based on after market add-ons to their vehicles, such as dashboard cams or smartphone mounts.

  Penelope Garcia : Workplace parking lots would be really a good hunting ground because he'd be able to see the same cars over and over, and once he's determined that that driver is using those after market devices consistently, bang, that's his next victim.

  Luke Alvez : His first two hijackings were in order to perfect his technique. And those pedestrians were victims of opportunity.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : However, this latest hijacking reveals that he's refining his victim criteria. He specifically chose a young, attractive, dark haired woman.

  David Rossi : It's likely this victim was a surrogate for someone the unsub seeks to terrify and punish.

  Jennifer Jareau : This unsub may lack the confidence and social skills necessary to form healthy relationships, which could be fueling his anger.

  Stephen Walker : We anticipate his next victim or victims to be young, attractive women with whom he has some sort of personal connection.

  Dr. Tara Lewis : Encourage drivers to protect themselves by removing after market dashboard cameras and to refrain from mounting smartphones on their dashboards or CD slots.

  Luke Alvez : That's right. If the unsub can't watch, he will not select that car and driver.

  Stephen Walker : Law enforcement also needs to understand that the drivers of these vehicles are victims. They are unable to control the vehicles they appear to be driving.

• Luke Alvez : We're at Alyssa's house. Car's here. No signs of a struggle. I think he abducted her.

  Jennifer Jareau : The local P.D. says he's not in his apartment and his car's gone.

  Penelope Garcia : So then why the change in the modus operandi?

  Jennifer Jareau : It's part of his escalation. It's not enough for him to watch anymore. What he craves is physical contact.

  David Rossi : His confidence is up. He was ready to step out of the shadows.

  Stephen Walker : He needs to be a part of it, and he wants to experience the moment of impact, even if it means he doesn't walk away from it.