Man injured after driver tears through skate park
Jim Bender, Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 01:38 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 02:16 PM EDT
WINNIPEG - Police said people were diving out of the way and running for their lives when a 21-year-old man drove erratically through a park in Winnipeg on Tuesday night.
The car hit a 25-year-old man, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The driver is in custody and police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said he could face “serious charges.”
Police wouldn't confirm his name, but sources told Postmedia Network that Andrew Penner, 21, was taken into custody Wednesday morning in connection with the reckless drive, some of which was captured on video by onlookers.
More than 100 people were in the park -- most of them children -- about 8:30 p.m. CT Tuesday when a man driving a grey Chevrolet Cavalier started speeding through it at up to 80 km/h, police said.
In a witness video, the car can be seen gunning it over ramps in a skateboard park before taking off through baseball diamonds in a nearby sports field.
That's where the car hit the 25-year-old man.
"It was strictly pure luck that (the victim) was able to jump up as he was being struck by that vehicle," Michalyshen said. "Instead of going under that vehicle potentially, he went up and over the vehicle and was able to land on his feet."
After doing doughnuts in the field, the driver slowed down and a man he knew got into the car. A short time later, the passenger jumped from the moving car because he feared for his safety, police said.
It was a "pretty scary situation," Michalyshen said.
Police located the abandoned Cavalier later that night.
Witness Brendon Gladu posted a video to his Facebook account.
"Unreal day!! Just at Michael Komenda Skatepark and (some) a--hole decides to put everybody at risk. He ended up hitting someone on a baseball diamond and just took off afterwards! It was idiotic and dangerous and kids like this make me ashamed to be considered today's generation," he wrote.
"He obviously is an idiot," said Ross Forrest, a maintenance worker who witnessed much of the rampage. "You don't drive through a skateboard park with a bunch of kids."
Forrest said the driver actually made two separate appearances.
"He did it once and we thought he was gone," he said. "I was in the building (arena) working and somebody came in and said, 'You've got to do something, that idiot's back.' But I'm not going to go out there and jump in front of him."
The driver fled the park and narrowly avoided a collision with a train before abandoning the vehicle. His girlfriend picked him up, police believe.
Michalyshen said the suspect is known to police for past crimes.
Man injured after driver tears through skate park | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park
May 6, 2015 12:21
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park : Featured TOR : Videos
Jim Bender, Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 01:38 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 02:16 PM EDT
WINNIPEG - Police said people were diving out of the way and running for their lives when a 21-year-old man drove erratically through a park in Winnipeg on Tuesday night.
The car hit a 25-year-old man, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The driver is in custody and police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said he could face “serious charges.”
Police wouldn't confirm his name, but sources told Postmedia Network that Andrew Penner, 21, was taken into custody Wednesday morning in connection with the reckless drive, some of which was captured on video by onlookers.
More than 100 people were in the park -- most of them children -- about 8:30 p.m. CT Tuesday when a man driving a grey Chevrolet Cavalier started speeding through it at up to 80 km/h, police said.
In a witness video, the car can be seen gunning it over ramps in a skateboard park before taking off through baseball diamonds in a nearby sports field.
That's where the car hit the 25-year-old man.
"It was strictly pure luck that (the victim) was able to jump up as he was being struck by that vehicle," Michalyshen said. "Instead of going under that vehicle potentially, he went up and over the vehicle and was able to land on his feet."
After doing doughnuts in the field, the driver slowed down and a man he knew got into the car. A short time later, the passenger jumped from the moving car because he feared for his safety, police said.
It was a "pretty scary situation," Michalyshen said.
Police located the abandoned Cavalier later that night.
Witness Brendon Gladu posted a video to his Facebook account.
"Unreal day!! Just at Michael Komenda Skatepark and (some) a--hole decides to put everybody at risk. He ended up hitting someone on a baseball diamond and just took off afterwards! It was idiotic and dangerous and kids like this make me ashamed to be considered today's generation," he wrote.
"He obviously is an idiot," said Ross Forrest, a maintenance worker who witnessed much of the rampage. "You don't drive through a skateboard park with a bunch of kids."
Forrest said the driver actually made two separate appearances.
"He did it once and we thought he was gone," he said. "I was in the building (arena) working and somebody came in and said, 'You've got to do something, that idiot's back.' But I'm not going to go out there and jump in front of him."
The driver fled the park and narrowly avoided a collision with a train before abandoning the vehicle. His girlfriend picked him up, police believe.
Michalyshen said the suspect is known to police for past crimes.
Man injured after driver tears through skate park | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park
May 6, 2015 12:21
Car rampages through Winnipeg skate park : Featured TOR : Videos