Interactive map of Manitoba’s 14,486 hit and runs reported in 2024

Almost 10,000 hit-and-runs are reported in Winnipeg annually, and those who have experienced the motor-driven mayhem of a driver fleeing a crash say the illegal act only adds to a time of stress and dismay.

Since 2020, there have been 67,338 instances of hit and runs in Manitoba, with the majority of them – more than 73 per cent (or 49,756) – happening in the province’s largest urban centre of Winnipeg.

Those in the city who have experienced them firsthand say the crashes are cause for concern.

“It was in the middle of the day and I wasn’t expecting it,” said Alisha Bigelow, a hit-and-run victim who was rear-ended and briefly knocked unconscious as a result. “It was pretty traumatic. I didn’t know what happened at first.” 

Bigelow says the other driver suggested the two move out of traffic to exchange information, but she says in the end, the other driver left the scene, leaving her shaken up, with a sore back and in a haze.

“I ended up seeking medical attention within hours of the accident, because I knew something wasn’t right,” she said.

And Bigelow is far from alone in her experience. There were a total of 14,486 hit and runs reported in 2024, a figure on the rise again after plateauing from a peak in 2022 (15,155).

There’s an average of 13,467 hit and runs annually across the province. 

People looking to help hit-and-run victims

Bigelow says it was witnesses on scene who helped her with information and pictures of the hit-and-run driver’s vehicle following her incident, saying she’s thankful for those who helped.

But many in the province are left with more questions than answers following a hit and run. 

To help and try to get those questions answered, online communities of web sleuths have emerged with the aim of assisting and tracking down those who have caused harm as the result of a hit and run. 

“Some that I’ve seen have just been atrocious,” said Tracy Stahl, one of the administrators of the Hit and Run Alert Winnipeg Facebook page. “I just don’t understand how humans are like that. Seems like there’s no respect for others’ properties.

The group is a place where members of the community share their experiences about hit and runs in hopes of getting more information for police and their insurance claim. Stahl says it does seem as though the problem has been growing, with posts coming in daily and many involving stolen cars. 

As an admin of the group, she sees the worst of hit and runs and the best of people, as there’s no shortage of folks ready to help. 

“I think the public has come to the point where enough is enough already,” she said, noting later victims of hit and runs are then hit again in their wallet when they have to pay their deductible, at least upfront.

“It’s a hardship on a lot of people. More than just the emotional aspect,” she said.

Hit-and-run victim calls for people to take responsibility

Another Winnipegger who was a victim of a hit and run is Katie Grymek. A motorist left the scene after crashing into her car earlier this month. Grymek says when the driver sped off without leaving their insurance information, it was scary. 

“There was nothing I could do. So, at that moment, I was really shocked,” she said. 

She too got help by other drivers on scene but the entire situation has left her frustrated. The car that hit her would be reported stolen, but when she heard there are thousands of these incidents occurring every year, she said people need to do better.

“You’re leaving the scene, making it 10 times worse for yourself and then worse on other people,” she said.

“Everybody’s experience is different … but it would be nice to see that people would collectively say, ‘OK I’m going to stay. I’m going to do my part. I’m going to exchange information and I’m going to abide by what it should be.'”

MPI: ‘We definitely want to see those numbers go down’

Manitoba Public Insurance media and communications lead Tara Seel say the numbers do fluctuate annually, but ideally, MPI wants to see them drop.

“It’s unfortunate that people are having to go through that type of incident, it can be pretty traumatic for sure,” said Seel.

She stressed whether you are in the car or not, those who have been victimized should first report the crash to police and then MPI, saying they try to make the claim process who have been affected by a hit and run as easy as possible.

“That’s very important to us,” she said.

Seel says it’s wonderful that so many people out there are willing to help victims of a hit and run, but stresses they can also send footage of drivers fleeing the scene directly to MPI if they don’t want to post on social media, as hit and runs are costly for the Crown corporation a well.

“We definitely want to see those numbers go down,” she said.

“If there’s more claims, MPI’s paying out more money, premiums go up and Manitobans pay more out of their wallets. That’s what it boils down to. That’s why MPI is involved in so many road safety initiatives and education programs … to help keep those costs down for Manitobans. Because we are a public insurer and our No. 1 goal is affordability for Manitobans.”

More information on how to report a hit and run can be found on Manitoba Public Insurance and Winnipeg Police Service websites.