Criminals are not nice people, not even the Canadian ones. In news from our northern neighbors, a car thief posed as a potential buyer only to run over the owner with his own vehicle while driving away. Be warned: the video contains images of the collision and could be disturbing for some viewers.
CTV News Toronto reported on the bold theft of a 2022 Porsche Cayenne. The owner had placed an ad for his vehicle via AutoTrader and was contacted by a prospective buyer. The young woman arrives at his home in Mississauga, which borders Toronto’s west side, inquiring about the SUV but stating she was waiting for her father to arrive. She asks if she can take a look at the Cayenne in the meantime. The owner obliges.
In the security video, the owner can be seen exiting the vehicle while the woman remains in the driver’s seat. According to the owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, the woman tricked him into getting out of the vehicle by asking to see the engine. The video doesn’t show whether that actually happened, but at some point, he’s walking around toward the back of the SUV, seemingly trying to unlock a door.
And that’s when the potential buyer turns into a straight-up car thief and attempted murderer. The woman stomps on the throttle, reversing quickly out of the driveway. In the process, she runs over the owner and hits a vehicle parked on the opposite side of the street. Amazingly, perhaps on adrenaline, the owner stands right back up and approaches the Cayenne, but the woman speeds off.
The Porsche theft happened in broad daylight on a weekday afternoon. The roadway is shown to be busy with vehicular traffic, and passersby can be seen walking nearby. But that’s not the wildest part.
The suspected accomplices were in luxury SUVs as well. The woman was dropped off in what looked to be a blue BMW X5. Another vehicle, a gray Bentley Bentayga, according to YouTube sleuths, waited across the street and departed along with the Cayenne. Given the vehicles of the alleged aiding and abetting team, this heist was probably not done on a whim but could potentially be part of a larger auto theft ring or other organized crime.
The owner told CTV News that he suffered severe injuries to his hands, elbows, and legs. Miraculously, he did not sustain any broken bones but told the news outlet that he was unable to walk for a week. Honestly, that’s better than being dead, considering the speed of the SUV and his position directly behind it.
The Peel Regional Police says the investigation is ongoing. Authorities say the suspected thief is wanted for “auto theft” and “dangerous operation causing bodily harm.” There is no word whether other suspects are being sought and on what charges.