A Saskatoon car dealership employee says he’s “grateful” he wasn’t seriously harmed during an incident that began as a routine test drive and ended as a violent robbery.
“That day could be the last day of my life,” he said.
“I can’t imagine that somebody would put a knife on my throat.”
Around 4:30 pm on June 2, the two women showed up to Sky Motors LTD. looking for a vehicle.
“They said they were looking for something between $4-5,000,” he said.
“I showed them some vehicles and they chose one specific vehicle – a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.”
They were interested in a test drive, so Hossain asked to see a license.
“One girl showed her license, but she said her license was suspended,” Hossain said.
“Immediately I made a decision I didn’t allow her to drive the vehicle, instead I drove the vehicle.”
Hossain said there was no hesitancy when told her license was suspended, as the dealership strives to treat everyone the same.
The three then got in the car, with the woman who said she was interested in purchasing it sitting in the passenger’s seat and the other woman directly behind him.
The test drive lasted roughly one block before the group headed back through an alleyway leading to the dealership’s lot.
Hossain said the short length of the test drive came at the request of his customers.
Before entering the lot the passenger in the back asked him to stop the car.
“(She) just forced me to get out of the vehicle and I was asking her constantly ‘Why should I stop?'” he said.
“She said ‘no you just have to get out of the vehicle right away.'”
That’s when Hossain says the woman behind him put a knife to his throat.
“The girl who just sitting right beside me she sprayed (perfume) on my face,” Hossain said.
“She said ‘just get out of the vehicle right away or your life will be in a terrible situation.’”
The knife hit Hossain’s right hand, breaking his skin and causing slight bleeding.
I have exited the SUV before the two women drove out the back alley. The whole incident left him upset.
“Since the day the incident happened I could not concentrate on anything,” said Hossain. “It was a life-threatening situation.”
Police later responded to the incident at around 5 pm according to a news release from the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS).
Police said the SPS Air Support Unit quickly located the vehicle traveling on Circle Drive “conveying its movements to officers on the ground.”
While slowed in heavy traffic, officers intercepted the vehicle near Preston Avenue and College Drive where it crossed the raised center median and sped away into oncoming traffic, police said.
The vehicle was later seen stopping in the area of Arlington Avenue and 8th Street East where officers reengaged the vehicle, according to SPS.
Police said the suspects rammed two police vehicles in an unsuccessful attempt to flee.
One officer sustained non-life threatening injuries as a result, the release said.
A 24-year-old Prince Albert woman and a 27-year-old Saskatoon woman were taken into custody.
Hossain says the incident has been hard to shake off.
“Since the day the incident happened I could not concentrate on anything,” said Hossain. “It was a life-threatening situation.”
Hossain says he has taken a few people for test drives.