Hamilton police are continuing to work to identify the four people killed in a horrific crash in the east end of the city over the weekend.
Investigators say it happened shortly before 2 a.m. on Saturday at the corner of Main and King streets when a stolen 2004 Toyota Prius lost control, smashed into a pole and burst into flames next to the Pizza Pizza.
The male driver and three people standing nearby were killed, while a fourth pedestrian was injured by debris caused by the collision.
In an email Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton police media relations Const. Krista-Lee Ernst said the nature of the crash involves “both investigative and forensic time challenges.”
“There are elements of this investigation that take time and need to be processed through the Ontario forensic pathology unit and we continue to work with them closely to confirm positive identity,” wrote Ernst.
She added that the victims’ identities may only be released at the discretion of family members, who may not want that information to be public.
A spokesperson for Pizza Pizza confirmed to Global News on Monday that two of the people who were killed were contracted to perform maintenance on equipment inside the restaurant.
“We are shocked and saddened at the events that took place in Hamilton early Saturday morning,” wrote Adrian Fuoco, vice president of marketing for Pizza Pizza Limited. “This is a tragic loss of life and we offer our sincere condolences to the families of all impacted.”
It’s not clear how or why the driver of the vehicle lost control, and Ernst said no factors have been eliminated as possible causes.
She also said the vehicle had been stolen from the area of Barton and Kenilworth.
Zephyr O’Neill, a witness to the aftermath of the crash, told Global News he saw the fire out front of Pizza Pizza just a couple minutes following the incident.
“My friend lives on the opposite side of the apartment building the Pizza Pizza is attached to, surprisingly I didn’t hear the crash as I was leaving his place,” O’Neill recounted.
He says six to eight other people were near the scene with some screaming and others attempting to get closer to try to help a person in one of the vehicles involved.
“First responders arrived maybe 5-7 minutes after I got there, after that police locked off the street and everyone went their own way,” said O’Neill.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing to investigate what happened.
They’re asking any witnesses, or anyone who might have footage of the crash, to call them at 905-546-4753, 905-546-4755, or anonymously submit a tip through Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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