Runner might have been deliberately hit with stolen car: police

A Winnipeg joggermight have been intentionally run down bythe driver of astolen car, police said as other runners described being chased into snowbanks by a vehicle.

The 49-year-old man was hit by a car around 6 a.m. CT Thursday as he was running along Wellington Crescent near Lanark Street. He was in hospital in guarded condition with head injuries.

'When we were about 100 feet away, the driver accelerates, drives straight at us.' —Leilani Kagan

Const. Jacqueline Chaput said a group of other runners who were worried about their safety called police a few minutes before they found the man lying in the middle of the street.

"They were actually calling because they stated that there was a vehicle in the area driving at a high rate of speed and it appeared to be attempting to hit them," she said.

"At this point, we don't know what the intent was, who was driving.But after they called us is when they located the [injured] male, so it just adds to the seriousness of this issue."

Leilani Kagan, one of thejoggers who phoned police,told CBCthe driver ofthe car madeseveral attempts todrive intoher group.

"When we were about 100 feet [30 metres]away, the driver accelerates, drives straight at us.We…jump into a snowbank.One of us was at a driveway where the windrow had been pulled up, so he got in behind the windrow.And the car took off," she said.

"It happened four times."

At that point, Kagansaid, the group borrowed a cellphone and calledpolice.

As they were jogging back to their cars, Kagan said, they came across alarge pool of blood; then she sawthe jogger who had been hit bleeding heavily from a head wound.

Kagan said it was a harrowing experience, but she plans to continue running.

Stolen Sunbird found

Later in the morning, police recovered a car in the West Broadway area, across the Assiniboine River and east of the area where the man was hit.

The car was a dark blue Pontiac Sunbird matching the description of the car the runners reported. It had been reported stolen.

Forensic tests were being carried out to determine whether the car was the one that hit the runner.

Chaput said the incident underscored the need for drivers to take any steps they can to ensure their vehicles are not targets of theft.

"It's unfortunate that it's come to this, but it is our responsibility to ensure that our vehicles are secure," she said.

"Let's have these immobilizers installed. Use the Club.Anything that we can do to prevent theft of vehicles.… Based on what's happening here, it could have potentially tragic consequences."

Police appealed to anyone who saw the collision or the car to call them.

No arrests have been made.