A verbal sparring match escalated to violence when four Steinbach residents were intentionally hit by a car behind the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) last Friday night, RCMP say.
Officers report tensions began to surface at an earlier point in the evening.
The four victims, two teen girls and two young adult men, got into an argument with a 16-year-old male from Landmark in a parking lot on Main Street.
After an unspecified amount of time, RCMP say the the four victims and the 16-year-old drove off in separate cars. The two vehicles “followed each other” until they made it to the SRSS back parking lot.
Police say the four victims exited their car while the 16-year-old stayed behind the wheel of his; he then allegedly hit the gas and drove directly into them.
Both of the teen girls — ages 15 and 17 — were taken to hospital by RCMP, the 15-year-old only as a precaution. The 17-year-old was found severely injured, but is now stable.
The two young adult men were unharmed, officers say.
The driver was arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Steinbach RCMP continue to investigate the incident.