Police still looking for stolen Hyundai deadly crash driver, steps taken to protect drivers

Man killed by stolen Hyundai

Man killed by stolen Hyundai

UPDATE 7/24: Andrew William Hyde, 55, has been identified as the victim by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.


Minneapolis police are still looking for the driver of a stolen Hyundai that crashed into another car and killed a man, adding to the chaos, destruction and sadness stolen vehicles are causing in the community.

Police say that a man in his 40s was severely injured in the crash, which occurred on Washington Avenue between 21st and 22nd Avenues on the city’s north side Tuesday night. While lifesaving efforts were made, the man died at the hospital — authorities have not released his identity.

When police got to the scene, the driver of the stolen Hyundai SUV was not there, but a female passenger was. She was brought to the hospital and is expected to recover from her injuries.

The crash happened just outside Norm n’ Cliff’s Bar — gambling manager for the bar Marianne Jasinski tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS her cousin was working at the bar Tuesday night when the crash happened.

“She just heard a big boom, like an explosion,” Jasinski said.

“I feel bad for the family,” Jasinski said about the victim in the deadly crash. “Somebody is not going home because of your actions,” she added about the driver of the stolen vehicle.

Jasinski is very familiar with the chaos stolen vehicles can cause — her Hyundai SUV was stolen earlier this year. While investigators were able to find it within a day, she says there were still thousands of dollars of damage.

There has been work done to try and curb these thefts. In April, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined many other attorneys general in a civil investigation into Hyundai and Kia. In Minnesota, and throughout the nation, there has been a sharp spike in the number of those vehicles getting stolen due to the simplicity of the process.

Just last week, AG Ellison told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the investigation is still ongoing and that he still feels the carmakers play a big role in improving this issue.

Within the last month, CARFAX, a national company that tracks the history of vehicles, started a partnership with the carmakers with the goal of protecting soon-to-be owners of either a Hyundai or Kia.

“A lot of these thefts are joyrides that sometimes ends with end with tragic results,” Patrick Olsen, editor and chief of CARFAX, said.

The partnership allows CARFAX to notify consumers if the Hyundai or Kia they plan to buy needs what CARFAX calls anti-theft repairs.  

“There are 4.9 million of these cars unfixed on U.S. roads today,” Olsen said, adding: “And there are more than 74,000 of them just in the Twin Cities metro area.”

Early this year, the two car manufacturers rolled out free security software they say makes the vehicle tougher to steal.

As for the deadly Hyundai car crash in Minneapolis, if you can help investigators find the suspected driver, reach out here.