Toronto police say they have seen a spike in calls for collisions on Thursday as emergency crews have received at least 70 personal injury and more than 40 property damage reports.
News of the increased call volume comes after officers and paramedics responded to a fatal crash near Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue West during the evening rush hour.
Police said a taxi crashed into multiple vehicles, including a TTC bus. A woman in her 40s was taken to hospital in critical condition where she later died. Another person was taken to hospital in serious condition.
Forty minutes after that fatal crash, another pedestrian was struck and taken to hospital in serious condition.
Collisions were also reported by Peel Regional Police in Brampton and Mississauga.
A Toronto Paramedics spokesperson told Global News in a four-hour period beginning at 6 p.m., their staff responded to at least 14 calls.
Const. David Hopkinson said the collision calls are more than officers see on an average day. Although it was soggy for most of the day on Thursday, he said a multitude of factors could be involved in the crashes and it can’t be pinpointed on rain alone. Hopkinson said typically around this time of year, calls for service go up.
“Take your time, drive according to the conditions … as we come into the fall where the weather is changing, where it is typically wet, water droplets on car windows reduce visibility incredibly, so drivers have to take those things into account when travelling.”