An alleged attempted theft in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery on Wednesday morning has left a 46-year-old man seriously injured.

At 9:30, police received a call about an incident in the cemetery near the intersection of Forest Hill and Cote-Des-Neiges. Responding officers found the man underneath a car.

He was taken to hospital, as was the 44-year-old female driver of the SUV, who was treated for shock.

Police said that they believe the man was on a bicycle in the cemetery when the woman parked her car to visit a grave. As she was kneeling by the gravesite, the cyclist allegedly approached the car and stole her purse from out of it. The woman saw this, got in her SUV and pursued the man, striking him.

“While she was chasing him, it's when the collision happened between the car and the cyclist. So the cyclist, the man, (ended up) underneath the car,” said Montreal police spokesperson Caroline Chevrefils. 

The man is now in stable condition.

Police said no charges have yet been filed but the man could be charged with theft. No charges will be filed against the SUV driver.