Impaired driving charges laid after worker struck at Toronto construction site: police

A man has been charged with impaired driving offences after a vehicle crashed into a construction worker on Allen Road in Toronto overnight causing critical injuries, police say.

Toronto police said emergency crews were called to the scene after 12:30 a.m. on Friday on Allen Road southbound at the Viewmont Avenue overpass.

A 38-year-old man was working on the left shoulder in a designated construction area when the driver of a 2009 Volvo XC90 heading south lost control, police said.

The vehicle hit the man before striking a large mound of soil and flipping onto its roof, police said.

The victim was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he remains.

Police said there was construction ongoing in the area at the time of the collision, but both north and south traffic was unaffected.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene.

Police said 35-year-old Toronto resident Nelson Jacob-Louis was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm, impaired operation of a conveyance — exceeding blood alcohol concentration, and carrying a concealed weapon.

He is scheduled to appear in court on March 29.

The Toronto police Traffic Services Unit continues to investigate and asked anyone with video footage of the incident or area to contact officers.

In a statement emailed to Global News on Friday, a spokesperson for the TTC said the commission’s “thoughts are with the individual and their family during this difficult time; and we wish them a quick and full recovery.”

“We are assisting police in any way we can with their investigation,” the statement read. “Safety is paramount to all the TTC does and the agency is always working to keep its customers, employees, including our contractors, as safe as possible at all times.”