17-Year-Old Killed Last Night Shows The GTA's Deadly Car Problem Is Becoming An Emergency
A 17-year-old boy has become the eighth person in Toronto to be struck by a car this month. The teenager, identified as Samuel Dan Kumar, was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street near Scarborough’s Golfdale Gardens neighbourhood. CP24 reported that the boy was transported to a nearby trauma centre with life-threatening injuries, Toronto Paramedic Services confirmed. Two hours later, police revealed that the boy had died of his injuries in hospital. The teen is the latest victim on a growing list of Toronto pedestrian deaths this year.
Toronto police reported that a 15-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle in the city’s East End while riding his bicycle on the morning of September 4. According to police, the accident occurred at Victoria Park Avenue and Surrey Avenue. The boy was escorted to hospital with minor injuries. The driver remained on scene.
A 75-year-old woman was killed earlier this month after being hit by a car in Etobicoke on September 6. The accident occurred near Westown Plaza, in the area of Islington Avenue and Dixon Road. According to CTV, police says the woman was attempting to cross the street when she was hit by a vehicle travelling westbound.
On September 10, police reported that a woman was taken to hospital in serious condition after being hit by a car in North York. The incident occurred around 7:45 a.m. near Four Winds Drive and Sentinel Road area after the woman, in her 50s, was struck.
A Toronto woman had a close call this month after she was hit by a dump truck while stepping off of a TTC bus. The collision took place near Bathurst and Ulster street at around 8:00 a.m. The commuter walked away from the incident with non-life-threatening injuries.
Another Torontonian was struck by a TTC bus in Scarborough this month. Global News reported that the man, who is in his 20s, was struck by the bus near Kingston and Overture and was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A 22-year-old man was killed on September 21 after being hit by a car in Pickering on Saturday morning. CityNews reported that the man was found near Whites Road North at 12:30 a.m. The driver did not remain on scene. Police are asking the public to help locate a 2004 or 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan.
“The suspect vehicle may have front-end damage on the passenger corner and will have a missing front wheel liner or fender skirt on the passenger side of the vehicle,” police said.
Durham police confirmed on September 24 that a 26-year-old female pedestrian was rushed to hospital in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle near Victoria and Henry streets in Oshawa. According to CP24 , police reported the pedestrian intentionally caused the collision.
Pedestrian deaths and injuries due to vehicles are a growing problem in Toronto. A total of six Torontonians are killed or injured by a car every day in the city and were already on pace to surpass 2018’s record of 41 deaths, CityNews reports. This year, Toronto launched its second attempt at a “Vision Zero” plan to help curb the alarming rate of pedestrian and cyclist deaths, which reignited a debate surrounding a possible cellphone ban .
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