‘Like a bomb went off’: Brazen hit-and-run at popular Stoney Creek car wash causes $1 million in damages

Scott Ryan thinks of the lobby in his Stoney Creek car wash as a fortress.

Or at least he used to.

The arsenal of security cameras and ultrasensitive alarms Ryan installed at MJ's EZEE Clean car wash in recent years were no match for a massive utility truck that rocked its foundation in an attempted break-in early last weekend.

There's all kinds of extra security in there that I added in a few years ago, enough that the security company thought I was going a little overboard," Ryan, longtime owner of the popular car wash, said in an interview.

But using that size of a truck, that's got a ram bar and looks like a tank ... no security is stopping that."

Hamilton police say the brazen, deliberate crash around 7 a.m. on Feb. 5 involved a stolen commercial vehicle and an unknown number of suspects who tried to get into the building's office.

Before fleeing the scene in a dark-coloured, two-door Chevrolet Silverado getaway truck, police allege the suspects spotted, chased and deliberately stuck a 43-year-old man who witnessed their break-in attempt.

The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive.

The car wash, meanwhile, was left in shambles.

Its lobby, flanked on each side by four wash bays, looks more like a demolition site than it does a place of business, much less than the fortress Ryan envisioned. The impact of the crash was so powerful it caused huge cinder block in the walls to go airborne and land on Ryan's office desk.

I'd be dead if I was in the there," said Ryan. It's like a bomb went off, literally."

Ryan was able to watch the shocking break-in thanks to unscathed security footage from some of his ceiling cameras, which are constantly monitored by an independent company.

He said he could see the culprits rummaging around his office behind the lobby, looking for a change machine.

We're one of the busiest car washes around and it's no surprise they came here," he said.

Ultimately, after a few minutes of trying, the suspects left with nothing.

For all the damage - the business is down eight wash bays and looking at north of $1 million in repairs - what shook Ryan most was what happened to the victim.

Through the surveillance footage, Ryan said he saw the suspects' pickup truck hunt down" the civilian on his property, chase him onto a neighbouring property where there's a Scotiabank, and then back onto his property where they ran him over twice." The witness, he added, was simply taking a video of the break-in before the suspects pursued him.

It sent a chill down my spine," Ryan said. That people would do this intentionally, that they were hunting the guy down - and for what? For being a good Samaritan, taking a video and trying to save my business?

What the hell is wrong with these people?"

Given he has insurance and a strong customer base, Ryan is optimistic his car wash will financially stay afloat - but he hopes the suspects are caught for the victim's sake. He recently met with the man's family and said they have been left shattered by the incident.

Police said the homicide unit is probing the hit-and-run because of the alleged deliberate nature of the crime.

No suspect descriptions have been released and investigators continue to look for the pickup.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Robert DiIanni at 905-546-3836.

Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com