Manitoba RCMP say fatal crashes on the rise after low numbers to start 2025
RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre told 680 CJOB there have been 32 fatalities this year, compared with only 23 at the same time last year — a frustrating stat, as most of the crashes are easily preventable.
'We started 2025 really in great shape, with the number of collisions being low, and we were way below our averages,' Manaigre told The Start on Wednesday.
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'Now I think we're ahead of the curve, compared to last year and even compared to our five-year averages. The numbers are climbing.'
Manaigre said the province has seen four deaths in just the last week or so, and that he was recently informed of another one, which police have yet to release details about.
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'People are trying to pass when it's unsafe because they're in a hurry, and when you throw in the use of a cellphone or the lack of seatbelt, it just compounds the tragedies.
'A serious collision without a seatbelt will usually result in a tragedy.'
RCMP urge Manitoba drivers to exercise patience on the roads this summer.
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This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Staff Sgt, Luke Halvorson of the RCMP Community Safety Unit talks about an operation targeting an alleged organized crime group involved in the theft of vehicles on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam / Postmedia After a six-month investigation, RCMP have laid a host of stolen-vehicle, fraud and drug-trafficking charges in relation to a number of stolen high-end pickup trucks and SUVs. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Since the operation began in December, RCMP have recovered $1.9 million worth of stolen vehicles. The police are in search of 150 more stolen vehicles, 30 of them connected to this investigation. Police also seized a kilogram of cocaine, more than 200 oxycontin pills and nearly $10,000 in cash. The Alberta RCMP auto theft unit worked with St. Albert RCMP and Edmonton Police Service to execute a number of search warrants. Staff Sgt. Luke Halvorson of the Alberta RCMP's community safety unit said those accused in the alleged stolen-vehicle ring would create fake VINs, and then have third parties register them through Service Alberta. This is a new ploy used by thieves; by re-registering the stolen vehicle and assigning ownership to an unsuspecting Albertan — usually a past victim of identity theft — the pickup truck or SUV is legitimized. Often, they're either sold — beware too-good-to-be-true deals on new pickups in Facebook Marketplace — or reported stolen after they've been reinsured. The thieves pocket the insurance payout and keep the vehicle. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Halvorson said Albertans who have been victims of identity theft or have lost their IDs should check with a registry agent to ensure that they don't have cars they don't own under their names. And he said if you've bought a new-ish vehicle in a deal that you can't believe you were able to pull off, you should check to see if it's been reported stolen. 'They've sold them to unsuspecting citizens who are now driving stolen vehicles, that could be seized at any time,' said Halvorson. 'So, essentially, these are registered in unsuspecting citizens' names, but they're not in those people's houses for us just to check,' said Halvorson. 'Someone else is driving them around, potentially in another province or another country. 'Or, they essentially steal an $80,000 vehicle, insure it, then say it's been stolen. They still have the $80,000 vehicle and (an insurance payout of) $80,000.' Modern VIN fraud is so good, stolen vehicles have been traced to unsuspecting major-manufacturer car dealerships. As vehicles get more and more technologically sophisticated, so do the methods employed by thieves. There's fob 'spoofing,' where the signal is stolen from a victim's keys, and counterfeit VINs is an easy route to laundering stolen cars. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Typically, in this investigation, it's all high-end vehicles,' said Halvorson. 'Typically, a year or two old, a lot of higher-end pickup trucks, Land Rovers, Toyotas, Really, anything they can steal, they're doing that.' Halvorson said vehicles have been seized in Alberta, Ontario and the Northwest Territories. One was traced to the Middle East, but Halvorson said shipments of stolen vehicles from Alberta to stolen-car havens near the Persian Gulf are rare, because thieves in this province doesn't have access to ports. He said RCMP don't believe this alleged vehicle-theft ring has any affiliation to known gangs. Thieves do pay attention to resale values. Because Toyotas are famous for keeping their value better than other cars, they're often targeted. As well, the tricked-out pickups retain their value better than other vehicles. Halvorson said RCMP have had discussions with Service Alberta about how easy it is for third parties to register vehicles in this province. 'We're working with Service Alberta to try and close that loophole and put in preventive methods.' Despite the sophistication shown by this alleged group of car thieves, the truth is that, many times, Albertans leave their vehicles as sitting ducks in parking lots and driveways. The RCMP warned that about half of the vehicles stolen in Alberta had keys or key fobs left inside. With the advent of fobs and push-start ignitions, a lot of us carry our keys to the vehicles, push the on button and then casually dump the keys in a cup holder. Then, when we leave our vehicles, we leave the fobs behind. Halvorson said drivers need to ensure their keys stay with them, and invest in steering-wheel locks. Also, there are bags available that you can place your keys in when you're not driving. These bags cut off signals, so they prevent thieves from spoofing fobs. Despite this bust, Halvorson said vehicle thefts have been dropping in the province over the past four years. So far this year, vehicle theft rates are down 18 per cent than where they were in 2022. Edmonton's Mohamed Hajar, 40, faces 46 charges, including participating in a criminal organization, possession for the purpose of trafficking, fraud over $5,000 and 28 counts of uttering forged documents. Edmonton's Ryan Garford, 40, faces 28 charges, including 22 counts of uttering forged documents. Sean Broyles, 37, has been charged with seven counts of uttering forged documents. Yuvraj Dhillon, 22, is charged with fraud over $5,000 and trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000. All four are scheduled to make their first court appearances July 29. Warrants have been issued for 34-year-old Zachary Frazer and two High River residents, 56-year-old Loranne Smith and Darlene Noel, 61. Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
