Rest in peace…
A car enthusiast in Minneapolis was recently killed by a car thief as he did what he loved: driving his 1964 Chevy Impala. While his family is obviously mourning his untimely passing, it also serves as a reminder that as we all enjoy the warm summer months and the ability to drive our hobby cars about, things can go sideways in an instant.
Remember what the Minneapolis police chief had to say about car theft earlier this year here.
According to WCCO, Andrew Hyde was cruising around in his ’64 Impala convertible when a car thief in a stolen Hyundai slammed into him. Video of the aftermath of that crash makes it look quite violent, so it’s no wonder the avid gearhead lost his life.
The suspect who was driving the Hyundai fled the scene. Police are apparently trying to track him down, but it doesn’t sound like there are many leads.
Hyde’s family said he loved 1964 Impalas so much that he bought three. That might sound extreme to some people, but as enthusiasts we totally get it. He also apparently mentored young men in the community, something we see often in the car community.
His wife told WCCO that police have told her almost nothing about the accident. She’s understandably upset about losing her husband and strongly believes something has to happen with the car theft trend. We wish she didn’t have to come to that realization in such a harsh way but fear many more people will before things fundamentally change.
This is also a sobering reminder that even if we don’t know a Kia, Hyundai, or other popular theft target, we can still fall victim to the thieves and their behavior. These guys really drive the cars they swipe like they’re stolen, putting everyone on public roads at risk.
