Dozens of cars have tires slashed in University Heights

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — University Heights residents and local college students awoke Sunday morning to find that dozens of vehicles had their tires slashed overnight.

Dozens of vehicles parked along Winspear Avenue for over a half mile between Main Street and Bailey Avenue had some of their tires slashed. The road runs just adjacent to the University at Buffalo’s South Campus.

WIVB News 4 was at the scene Sunday afternoon and spoke to two local college students who had their tires slashed.

Sophia Luczik, a UB student, had her car parked on Winspear. When she got up Sunday morning and started scrolling social media, she saw posts about what happened and went to see if her tires had been spared. They weren’t.

“I just think it’s crazy,” Luczik said as a friend helped put spare tires on her car. “I’ve never experienced anything like this; I’ve never had to deal with my tires getting slashed. We’re putting spares on for now, and then hopefully we can drive to a tire place. I’m just going to have to get new tires.”

Luczik found it hard to wrap her head around why anyone would target an area that primarily consists of college students. She was frustrated by what happened and said she had to deal with filing a police report and figuring out how to fix her car all morning instead of focusing on two assignments that were due at school.

She wasn’t the only UB student who had their tires slashed. Dmytro Melnyk was woken up to friends warning that his car may have had its tires slashed; he went outside to look and, sure enough, two of his tires had been slashed.

“I had to borrow a spare from the neighbor and then put one on of my own as well,” Melnyk said. “It’s definitely unfortunate, something I didn’t expect. It’s an unfortunate day.”

Will Clarkson is not a student but lives in the area and was concerned by what he saw on his way home with his partner.

“As we were coming up Winspear, we just keep seeing car after car, after car, it was insane,” Clarkson said. “Fortunately, we have a garage and were safe. But our neighbors, these college kids, everyone who parked on the street seems to have had their tires slashed.”

News 4 has reached out to officials at UB for a statement and is awaiting a response. News 4 has also reached out to the Buffalo Police Department for more information and is waiting to hear back.