8 pedestrians, 1 cyclist struck in separate incidents on Toronto streets

Emergency services reported 9 different incidents involving pedestrians and a cyclist being hit on Toronto streets Friday morning.

Paramedics told AM640 that they received three calls within just minutes of each other, all involving patients being transported to local hospitals.

EMS reported that three calls came in around 7:00 a.m., the first being a woman in her 50’s struck by a vehicle at an area near Steeles Avenue and Dufferin Street.

She was sent to hospital with life threatening injuries. Police have closed the area for an investigation by traffic services.

Toronto police confirmed a man in his 50’s was hit by a white pickup truck on Albion Road at Finch Avenue. The truck did not remain on scene and police are looking for witnesses.

Police also say a two-year-old was hit by a car near Jane Street and Lawrence Avenue. The child suffered minor injuries.

As of 8:00 a.m., EMS reported two more calls for pedestrians hit at Victoria Park Avenue and York Mills Road and another at Combermere Drive and Parkwoods Village Drive.

Toronto police reported a sixth pedestrian struck just after 8:30 a.m. near Burbank Drive and Sheppard Ave East. The person suffered minor injuries.

Meanwhile, a cyclist suffered minor injuries when they were hit by a vehicle around 9 a.m. in the area of Kensington Avenue and Dundas Street.

A seventh pedestrian was also struck by a vehicle around 11 a.m. near the area of Bloor Street and Ossington Avenue. Their injuries are unknown.

Const. Clint Stibbe told AM640 that police usually run a pedestrian safety campaign in November, a month in which they statistically see an increase in the number of reported pedestrian accidents.

“We have consistent increase in numbers year over year,” said Stibbe. “Contributing factors are less daylight hours, rain and a large number of pedestrian traveling through darkness.”

Stibbe said it’s really hard to put the onus on drivers a lot of the time, and that pedestrian need to make better decisions in addition to always making eye contact with a driver when crossing the street.