Toronto police say they believe alcohol was a factor in a downtown hit-and-run that left a 21-year-old pedestrian critically injured early this morning.
Speaking to CP24 on Thursday, Const. Clint Stibbe said a 21-year-old woman was crossing Huron Street shortly before 2:30 a.m. when she was struck by a northbound SUV that was travelling in the southbound lanes of the roadway.
“That vehicle was then travelling through the intersection northbound in a direction really that it shouldn’t have been going in,” Stibbe said.
After the pedestrian was struck, Stibbe said the driver of the SUV left the scene.
“Information was that after she was struck, she was actually thrown behind some construction cladding and ended up beside a dumpster inside a construction site. Luckily somebody did see her get struck by the vehicle and actually searched for her,” Stibbe said, adding that the witness found the victim and rendered first aid.
“We are very lucky this did not turn into a fatality. We are obviously thankful to that witness for stepping in and rendering first aid to this person.”
The woman was rushed to a trauma centre via emergency run. She remains in hospital in critical condition.
The driver of the vehicle believed to be involved in the collision was located in Forest Hill a short time later, Stibbe said.
The suspect, who has been identified by police as 19-year-old Rylan Balappa-Lawes, has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, dangerous operation of a motor-vehicle causing bodily harm, failing to stop after an accident causing bodily harm, and impaired operation of a motor-vehicle causing bodily harm.
Investigators are asking anyone with dash camera or security camera footage in the area to contact police.
The area was closed to traffic for the police investigation on Thursday morning but have since reopened.
