Toronto police have released surveillance video of an alleged intentional hit-and-run that left a 16-year-old boy dead in October.
Const. Victor Kwong said police took the decision to release the video seriously, first making sure the boy’s mother was OK with the footage being made public.
Emergency crews were called to a parking lot east of Stan Wadlow Park on Cosburn Avenue, east of Woodbine Avenue, with reports a pedestrian was struck just before 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 7.
Toronto paramedics took the boy to hospital without vital signs. The victim, who was identified by family as Matthew Dreaver, was later pronounced dead.
Police released surveillance video Thursday that appears to show an SUV mounting a curb and chasing two people before striking one from behind and running him over.
Investigators said the suspects then fled the area of Cedarvale and Bracebridge avenues westbound on Bracebridge and then went northbound on Woodbine Avenue before heading eastbound on O’Connor Drive and then eastbound on St. Clair Avenue East.
Police said the SUV is believed to be a 2007-2012 dark blue or black Hyundai Santa Fe with possible front-end damage.
Dreaver’s grandmother Gertrude Dreaver told Global News in October that Matthew was a good kid who may have gotten in with the wrong crowd.
“Why? Why did those guys have to run him over? Apparently from what I hear they ran him over like a dog,” Gertrude said.
“He was a good kid. If he got in with the wrong crowd, I don’t know. I don’t know what to make of it today as of now.”
Anyone with information or video was asked to call police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
–With files from The Canadian Press