Victims hit by stolen vehicle caught in battle with MPI
ctvwinnipeg.ca
Two friends who were hit by a stolen vehicle are now fighting with Manitoba Public Insurance.
Numeria and Jessica were driving in a car owned by Jessica's mother when they were hit.
"All I remember is the car turning in circles, and we were in the middle of the boulevard. It's the only thing I remember because I kind of blanked out for a second," said Numeria.
They had the green light and were on their way to a gas station when they were caught in the middle of a high-speed police chase with a stolen vehicle that smashed into them.
In shock, Numeria and Jessica got out of their car after being struck. It took a few seconds for them to realize they'd been hit.
"I looked at my friend, and she was crying," said Jessica.
Only minutes before, police had spotted a stolen vehicle. They tried to stop it. Instead, the car took off, speeding down the city street until it collided with the vehicle that Jessica and Numeria were inside.
Quentin Young, a convicted killer out on probation at the time, was charged with theft, drunk driving and flight from a police officer.
Jessica's vehicle was written off from the crash.
Now, they say MPI isn't offering to pay the family what they feel the vehicle is worth.
"How is that fair? We were victims of a crime. We were just driving down a street one day and there's a police chase and a car and it rams into us," said Jessica.
"How is that our fault?" she asked.
Jessica said her mother bought the Pontiac Pursuit for more than $12,000 three years.
But MPI offered what it calls a "Red Book value" of $5,000.
"They will receive the actual cash value of the vehicle, not the replacement value. That's where the confusion arises," said Brian Smiley, spokesperson for MPI.
Similar to any MPI claim, there is the option of appealing the decision and going through arbitration. That process is no different for victims of crimes, said MPI officials.
"Whether it's a stolen vehicle that's hitting them or a regular vehicle, the customer is treated the same and fairly," said Smiley.
Jessica and her family, however, aren't happy with the treatment they've received.
"It's just very frustrating and I don't think that it's fair and I want people to know this is what MPI does and it's not right," said Jessica.
- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley-
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