Winnipeg police check every vehicle matching description of car in fatal hit and run
Police ask autobody shops to contact them if they replaced a damaged bumper on a Honda Accord after May 21
Police say they have checked every vehicle in the greater Winnipeg area that matches the description of the one involved in a fatal hit and run in May.
Now, Winnipeg police are asking the city's autobody shops to try to remember if anyone came in for repairs to the bumper of a grey or silver 2003 to 2005 Honda Accord.
A 30-year-old man was walking through downtown Winnipeg around 3:15 a.m. on May 21 when he was hit by a vehicle on Cumberland Avenue, near the intersection with Carlton Street.
The vehicle drove away and the man was taken to hospital, where he died.
"It takes a special type of person to run from such a callous act. Our investigators are doing everything possible to make sure that this individual is caught," said Winnipeg police spokesperson Const. Jay Murray.
The police investigation found that the man was hit by the front passenger-side bumper of the vehicle, causing damage to the car's underside.
Murray said the damage isn't easy to see for people just passing by, so police have worked with Manitoba Public Insurance to physically check every registered vehicle in Winnipeg and the surrounding area that matches the description.
The extensive search didn't turn up the damaged bumper.
"We believe that some point after this accident, this vehicle may have been taken to an autobody shop and had the bumper changed," Murray said.
Police are asking anyone who works in the auto industry, particularly those who deal with used parts or autobody repair shops, to help find the vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to call the central traffic unit at 204-986-6271 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.