October 28, 2009
Torstar News Service

Websites around the world are picking up a video from Thornhill of one of the world’s worst parking jobs, and police are hopeful it will help find the driver.

Someone piloting a BMW SUV X5 in the Extreme Fitness lot pulled into a space and kept going, up and over two parked cars. One of them belongs to Todd Jamison, systems administrator at the gym, whose voice shook Wednesday when he described how his car was destroyed. The other reportedly was a rental car.

“It sort of sucks,” he said. The rogue mini-van backed off Jamison’s 2004 Hyundai Elantra and another car, then stopped, paused, backed out of the space and drove slowly out of the lot.

York Regional Police have been looking for the hit-and-run driver since the demolition derby Oct. 22.

“If they are sitting at home feeling bad, they should call us and talk,” York Const. Marina Orlovski said encouragingly. “They would probably feel better about talking about it.”

The damage to Jamison’s car was “quite extensive,” she said and the SUV probably damaged its undercarriage.

Jamison and police had few leads. The surveillance camera at the lot on Yonge Street in Thornhill failed to pick up the licence plate or clearly show the driver or passengers.

“We don’t know if the driver is male or female or if there’s one person or five in the vehicle,” said Orlovski. She paused.

“You certainly don’t see that everyday.”