A driver who hit four pedestrians on a walkway on Toronto Metropolitan University’s downtown campus on April 15 may have been targeting a specific individual, police say.
The hit-and-run occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Nelson Mandela Walk, a tree-lined path exclusively for pedestrians located near Yonge Street and Gerrard Street East.
Two people were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. The other two pedestrians were assessed at the scene and released.
Toronto Police Duty Insp. Todd Jocko said investigators believe one of the people on the walkway was known to the driver.
“It’s still early in this investigation, but at this time, it appears that it may have been an intentional targeting of a specific individual on the walkway,” Jocko told reporters during a media scrum several hours after the incident.
He noted that the two people sent to hospital appeared to be innocent bystanders.
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“We are still working to confirm all of those details,” he said. “However, at this stage, it appears to be an isolated incident.”
The driver fled the scene immediately after the incident, he said, noting police are looking for a dark green sedan with a “smashed” windshield last seen heading east on Gould Street. The licence plate of the car is DEDZ 565.
Police will release additional details about the suspect as they become available, he added.
“We understand that an incident like this raises a lot of concerns for people,” he said. “We want to assure the public that we are actively investigating and taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety.”
Witnesses of the incident said the vehicle entered the walkway via Gerrard Street. There didn’t appear to be any physical barriers to hinder traffic from entering the walkway from the street prior to the incident, they said, but two large planters were installed at the site afterward.
The university issued a safety alert just after 2 p.m. to urge people to steer clear of the area; but said classes and exams would proceed as scheduled. The alert was deactivated at 7:35 p.m.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the incident “tragic” in an April 15 social media post.
“I have walked up that walkway many times when I taught at TMU,” she said. “My thoughts are with all those affected, especially the victims and their families.”
City Coun. Chris Moise, who represents the area, said the incident evoked memories of the 2018 van attack in north Toronto that claimed numerous lives. He expressed “relief” that the April 15 incident did not result in any fatalities.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
