York Regional Police are warning the public after repeated staged carjackings that involve collisions and guns.
The Jan. 21 warning said there has been a “re-emergence” of staged collision carjackings.
Police say suspects purposefully cause minor collisions by hitting a victim’s vehicle. When the victim gets out of the vehicle, they are confronted by suspects who are often carrying guns.
The suspects then take the victim’s vehicle.
Thieves have also used distraction techniques to take the vehicle while the victim is not looking, police said.
One such event happened on Jan. 17 in Richmond Hill at about 5:50 p.m. in the area of Leslie Street and Bethesda Side Road.
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The victim was driving a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon that was rear-ended by a dark-coloured sport utility vehicle.
When the victim got out to look at the damage, a suspect got into his vehicle and drove away.
A similar incident happened on Jan. 9 in Vaughn, York Police said. The victim was driving a Cadillac Escalade near King Road and Highway 27 when the vehicle was rear-ended.
As the victim got out to look at the damage, she was confronted by two suspects, one with a gun, police said. The suspects tried to steal the vehicle but couldn’t get away when the engine was disabled by a kill switch installed in the Escalade.
Police also investigated two other similar incidents last November. On Nov. 20, a motorist was sideswiped by a man on a bicycle in Markham.
When the driver got out of the Cadillac Escalade to check on the cyclist, a dark-coloured sedan pulled up behind the Escalade.
Two people carrying weapons got out of the sedan, threatened the victim, and stole the vehicle, police said.
In another incident in Markham on Nov. 3, a Lexus was rear-ended by a Honda sedan.
As with the other thefts, the driver got out to inspect the damage and was approached by two people carrying guns. One stole the Lexus, while the other took off in the Honda.
Top Vehicle Models
Toyota makes are the most commonly stolen vehicles in 2025, according to York Police data, with 31 Toyotas taken so far this year, followed by 18 Lexus models and 10 Ford vehicles.
Over the past month, 85 vehicles have been reported stolen, about three a day in the region.
Vehicle thefts are the third most reported crime in the area, behind assaults (272 reports) and home break-ins (99 incidents).
Safety Tips
Police are advising people to be aware of their surroundings and trust their instincts when driving.
“If you feel you are being followed, or if something doesn’t feel right, drive to a police station or contact police immediately,” police said.
Anyone with information on carjackings has been asked to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or online at www.1800222tips.com.
