A 36-year-old man from Guelph has been charged after a crash in a busy parking lot involving a vehicle he allegedly took without permission.

Guelph Police responded to a Walmart parking lot on Woodlawn Road West shortly after 4 p.m. Friday. Investigators say the driver of an SUV lost control, drove over a curb, struck a sign and a tree, and then hit a parked vehicle.

When the vehicle’s owner arrived, they told officers the driver was not authorized to use the SUV. The accused now faces charges of taking a vehicle without consent and dangerous driving.