A Kitchener man has reached out to the community and regional police for help after his wheelchair accessible van was stolen from the driveway of his home.
According to a post from Keenan O’Donoghue, his 2015 Toyota Sienna wheelchair accessible van was stolen at 1 a.m. on Saturday.
“Living with a disability already comes with challenges that many people never see. A wheelchair accessible van is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. Knowing that someone could take something so essential has left us devastated,” said O’Donoghue.
O’Donoghue told 570 NewsRadio a neighbor caught the van being removed on security cam, confirming it had been stolen.
O’Donoghue said he thinks a bag of leaves triggered the safety mechanism on his parents automatic garage door, leaving it open overnight.
Regional police have opened an investigation but have not provided an update.
O’Donoghue said the van was special because it was built from the ground up to be accessible.
“It’s actually one where my wheelchair can get in the driver and passenger seat of, where a lot of other wheelchair vehicles that were made than adapted for wheelchair use, this one was made by a company called BraunAbility.”
O’Donoghue took to social media to alert the community of what happened, looking for any clues as to what happened to his vehicle.
He said the response has been overwhelming.
“I was kind of blown away with the online response. You know, people resharing it.” He said in just a couple days the original post has been shared over 500 times.
O’Donoghue said the thieves took more than his van; they took his independence.
“I live on my own in an apartment but right now I’m at my parents house.”
O’Donoghue is asking anyone with information on the location of his vehicle to come forward.
