Hummer thefts a coincidence: MPI

A weekend of damage and a death involving stolen Hummer SUVs in Winnipeg is not a signal the large vehiclesare thenew target of auto thieves, says Manitoba Public Insurance.

"I think what we are seeing is a couple of unfortunate, very, very high-profile incidents involving Hummers," said Brian Smiley, spokesman for MPI.

"The fatality certainly raised everyone's concern about the Hummers but I don't think, at this point, [that vehicle has] a high interest vehicle among thieves. They steal anything if they can get their hands on it."

Smiley thinks it was just coincidental that both stolen vehicles were Hummers.

'I think what we are seeing is a couple of unfortunate, very, very high-profile incidents involving Hummers.' Brian Smiley, MPI

The vehicles are considered only a moderate risk for theft, according to MPI, which tracks the types of vehicles most often stolen and requires those high-risk models to be equipped withan approved, non-factory immobilizer device.

The Hummer is not one of those; not in Manitoba, anyway.

South of the border, however, it is a favourite target of auto thieves. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the U.S. lists the Hummer H2 as second to the Escalade for vehicles with the highest theft claim frequencies.

Zdzislaw Andrzejczak, 47, was killed Friday when the car he was driving was struck by a stolen Hummer H2 at the intersection of Andrews Street and Alfred Avenue in Winnipeg's North End.

'When you're involved in collisions at high speeds with a large vehicle like this, the outcome can be absolutely devastating.' Const. Jason Michalyshen

Police are still searching for three suspects whofled from the 2005 Hummer H2, which ran a stop sign before hitting Andrzejczak's car.

The safety risks are far greater when a large vehicle like a Hummer is involved in a crash, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said.

Specifications from General Motors, the company that makes the Hummer, list the H2 at almost 3,000 kilograms, which makes it about 50 per cent heavier than the average car on the road.

"When you're involved in collisions at high speeds with a large vehicle like this, the outcome can be absolutely devastating, absolutely devastating. And that exactly was the case on Friday," said Michalyshen.

On Sunday, another stolen Hummer was driven erratically around parts of the city and was involved in a number of crashes.

Police are still trying to locate the vehicle, which was stolen from a parking lot in the city's St. James neighbourhood.

The recent arrival of frigid weather in Winnipeg has resulted in somepeople leaving their unoccupied vehicles running to warm up.

That makes them a prime target for thieves, Smiley said, urging people to avoid the practice.