WINNIPEG -- Police have arrested a man after a car speeding up to 80 kilometres an hour through a skate park and a baseball field forced children and people to run for safety before hitting someone.
Const. Jason Michalyshen of the Winnipeg Police Service says a 25-year-old is lucky to be alive after being hit by the erratic driver. The man managed to jump as he was hit by the car, he said.
"Instead of going under the vehicle potentially, he went up and over onto the hood or windshield, and was actually able to land on his feet," Michalyshen said Wednesday. "He was very, very fortunate. We could certainly be talking about something very different here."
The victim was not seriously hurt, Michalyshen said.
The car continued to drive through the park in the city's southwest. It was doing doughnuts in the field and picked up a passenger, who, fearing for his safety, later jumped out of the car, Michalyshen said.
The vehicle was abandoned in the area.
A 21-year-old man was arrested Wednesday and faces numerous charges.
Police are still investigating to determine if the driver was intoxicated at the time, Michalyshen said. The motive for the dangerous joyride remains a mystery for now.
"Members of the public, including ourselves, are still scratching our heads about why someone would make this kind of poor choice. It's really difficult to fathom."
A video posted on social media shows the car roaring through the skate park while onlookers watch in amazement, some laughing, before the car tears off into a nearby soccer field.
"It certainly is no laughing matter but it is just so bizarre," Michalyshen said. "It's not something you see every day."
