THUNDER BAY - A Thunder Bay man who was picking up a pizza for his family says he wasn’t sure what was going on at first when he saw another man climbing into the driver’s side of his vehicle earlier this year.
Craig Hardy, 27, briefly left his car idling outside of Golden Bakery and Pizza in late January while he picked up his order. It’s something he rarely does, but because of the time of the year and the quick nature of the trip, he didn’t question it.
“I was literally going in there for 10 to 15 seconds and then I was leaving,” Hardy said, nearly two months after the incident.
On Monday, March 30, Scott Savary, the man who dragged Hardy 25 metres with his own vehicle, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a conveyance and theft of a motor vehicle for the January incident. He was sentenced to six months of custody.
“My fiance and I just finished paying off some things and we were in a good mood and relaxed and decided we can finally afford to get some pizza and she’s pregnant and I didn’t want to say no,” Hardy said.
“I go in… tap my card, say ‘See ya guys’ and I see (a man) getting into my vehicle as I am leaving the restaurant,” he said. “I am like ‘Hey what are you doing?’ and he shuts the door and I run.”
Hardy said he immediately opened the door and asked the man what he was doing for a second time. That’s when he heard the man put the vehicle into shift and began reversing the car.
The father of two decided to hold onto the driver’s side door as the man began to drive the vehicle in reverse, dragging him a short distance through the parking lot before crashing into a snowbank and a tree.
Hardy suffered an injury near his eye and still has a scar on his eyebrow.
After the vehicle came to a stop, Hardy saw the man walking away from the scene, but chased after him and held him down until police arrived.
His car was completely totalled as a result of the incident.
Since the ordeal, Hardy said he no longer leaves his car idling, even if it is for a short time. He also doesn’t recommend others to take matters into their own hands.
“Just take precautions, take your time and even if you are going to be 10 to 15 seconds it doesn’t matter because something could happen,” he said. “Someone could be waiting there for an opportunity."
Other than the scar on his eyebrow, Hardy said the incident has also left him feeling untrustworthy of others.
"I guess I am a little more paranoid now about things in the city.”
