The New Year began with tragedy in Oshawa, as a 64-year-old man clung to life after a late-night collision. Emergency crews raced to the intersection of Simcoe Street North and Byng Avenue just after 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday, responding to reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
A Ford hatchback, traveling south on Simcoe Street, was involved in the incident. First responders found the victim suffering from critical injuries, immediately initiating transport to a Toronto trauma centre. The man’s condition remains precarious as medical teams work tirelessly.
The driver, a 28-year-old man, remained at the scene and is fully cooperating with investigators. Police secured the area for several hours, meticulously gathering evidence to reconstruct the events leading up to the devastating impact.
This incident unfolded just hours after another heartbreaking tragedy in Toronto. Earlier Wednesday morning, a 70-year-old woman was fatally struck by two vehicles near Yonge and Eglinton while attempting to cross the street.
Both vehicles involved in the Toronto collision fled the scene, leaving the woman with injuries that ultimately proved fatal. Authorities swiftly apprehended 48-year-old Hamid Abdul, the driver of the first vehicle, who voluntarily turned himself in to police.
The search continues for the driver of the second vehicle involved in the Toronto hit-and-run. Investigators are urging anyone with information, particularly those with dashcam, cellphone, or CCTV footage from either location on Wednesday, to come forward.
Durham Regional Police’s Collision Investigation Unit can be reached at 1-800-579-1520, ext. 5255. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Every piece of information, no matter how small, could prove vital to these ongoing investigations.
These two incidents, occurring within hours of each other, cast a somber shadow over the start of the new year, highlighting the vulnerability of pedestrians and the urgent need for heightened road safety awareness.
