A woman in her 60s died after Toronto police say a driver intentionally hit three people in North York on Wednesday.
The driver, an elderly man, was arrested for murder, according to Detective Sgt. Brandon Price, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service. Price said there will be other charges once police get more details.
“We have learned that this was an intentional act on the part of the arrestee,” Price said, calling the collision a “vehicle-related violent incident.”
Speaking to reporters Wednesday night, Price said there is a family relationship between the defendant and the victims, but did not provide details. The victims included an adult woman, an adult man and an elderly woman, he said. Police previously said four people had been hit, but later said there were a total of three victims.
Police said the incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. in a parking lot at 250 Cassandra Blvd., west of Victoria Park Avenue and south of Parkwoods Village Drive.
Price said the adult woman died at the hospital despite efforts to save her life. The other two people suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, she said.
“There is no additional or continuing risk to the public,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Insp. Keri Fernandes told reporters that the driver remained at the scene.
Aerial footage from the scene shows police cordoning off an area in a parking loop inside an apartment complex.
Investigators say they are looking for anyone who witnessed the collision scene.
SEE | “Someone yelled, ‘Help, help, help’: a resident describes the scene:
featured videoWARNING: This video contains graphic descriptions of a scene in which police allege a driver may have intentionally used his vehicle to hit four people and kill a woman. CBC’s Greg Ross spoke with Rudy Wachtel about what he saw.
Rudy Wachtel, a resident of the building for the past 11 years, said he was in his apartment when he heard screaming and went outside to see what was happening. The police and ambulance had not yet arrived, he said.
“Someone yelled, ‘Help, help, help!'” Wachtel said, noting that he did not witness the collision itself.
“I saw this lady on the ground, she wasn’t moving at all. There was another lady there in the corner,” he added. “The lady that was lying here in the middle, she was totally covered in blood, you know, and totally unconscious.”
When the first officer arrived on the scene, a person pointed at the driver and the officer immediately pulled the driver out of the car and handcuffed him, Wachtel said.
Wachtel said the apartment is overall very quiet.
“This building here is very, very safe. We’ve never had a problem like this.”