Man’s body lies in heat for hours in Toronto parking lot, coroner reviewing incident

The body of a 90-year-old man laid in a hot Toronto parking lot for hours after he was struck and killed by a truck earlier this week, sparking outrage and questions over the body removal process.

The man was one of two people hit by a truck in a parking lot in the area of Silver Star Boulevard and Steeles Avenue East, east of Kennedy Road, on Tuesday — one of the hottest days of the year in Toronto.

Toronto police said officers responded to the scene at around 12:28 p.m. after a 90-year-old man and a 79-year-old woman were crossing in a parking lot when they were hit by a white Hino truck that was reversing.

The woman was taken to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition, while the man died at the scene.

Global News reporter Sean O’Shea went to the scene to cover the incident and noticed that after hours, the man’s body had yet to be removed and remained on the pavement in the hot sun.

The temperature in Toronto on Tuesday topped 30 C and the humidex soared past 40.

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O’Shea remained at the scene until 6:30 p.m. — more than six hours after the collision happened — and the man’s body had yet to be removed.

By that time, the coroner had left long before.

It sparked outrage online, with social media users saying it was disrespectful and unacceptable.

Global News reached out to the Ontario coroner’s office about the incident.

“There are several investigative partners involved when a fatality occurs and it is incumbent that each stage of an investigation is completed thoroughly and properly,” Stephanie Rea, issues manager at the coroner’s office, said.

“The Office of the Chief Coroner makes every effort to complete scene investigations in a timely manner, though there are factors that can effect time of transfer. We are reviewing to ensure proper processes were followed.”

It is not clear when the man’s body was finally removed from the scene.