Toronto police say nine people have been taken to hospital, some with life-threatening injuries, after a serious crash involving a TTC bus and an alleged stolen BMW X6 early Monday.
Duty senior officer Brian Maslowski said the crash happened just before 2 a.m. at Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue.
“Our initial information is that two vehicles were travelling at a very high rate of speed, westbound on Wilson Avenue,” Maslowski said.
Maslowski said a black SUV made it through the intersection at Bathurst Street but a white BMW did not.
“It collided with the driver’s side of a southbound TTC vehicle. This caused quite a massive collision,” Maslowski said.
He said the TTC bus was struck “with such force” that it spun into the northbound lanes.
ATU Local 113, the TTC’s union, described the dramatic crash.
“The bus was struck with such force that it spun 180 degrees, leaving it facing northbound and partially mounted on the sidewalk,” ATU Local 113 said in a statement.
“The impact has left the operator, four customers, the motorist and passengers with injuries, and (they) are now receiving medical attention and care.”
Maslowski said when emergency crews arrived the white BMW was on fire. There were four people inside. Two of them are in life-threatening condition while the other two have serious injuries but are not life-threatening, he said.
Maslowski confirmed the white BMW was reportedly stolen.
The Toronto Police Association claimed in a post on social media that two of the four people in the stolen vehicle were on bail at the time, one reportedly for a robbery.
The union, which has been repeatedly lobbying Ottawa to tighten bail laws, repeated its campaign point in the statement.
“Once again we could be waking up to a senseless tragedy because of the federal government’s weak bail system,” the TPA wrote.
In addition, there were four passengers on board the TTC bus as well as the driver. All of them suffered minor injuries including a woman that was ejected from the bus, Maslowski said.
“It’s a horrific scene quite frankly,” Maslowski said.
Police later said in a news release that five people on the bus were taken to hospital, all with non-life-threatening injuries.
He said police do not know the make or model of the black SUV that made it through the intersection and are asking anyone with information or video footage to contact police.
The TTC said it was diverting buses around the closure. The intersection reopened on Monday afternoon.