Pedestrian in hospital after truck crashes through fence in Whitby, lands in swimming pool

A pedestrian is in hospital with serious injuries after a driver struck them with their pickup truck before careening into a residential fence and ending up in a backyard swimming pool.

Police say it happened just before 1 p.m. near Rossland Road East and Fencerow Drive in Whitby.

At that time, the driver of the vehicle went off the roadway and struck a pedestrian. Video captured by the CP24 chopper showed that the driver of the vehicle then crashed through the fences of two homes and ended up in an in-ground swimming pool.

The owner of the home told CP24 he heard the sound of a "wicked explosion" erupt from his backyard.

"…(It's) not everyday a truck goes into your backyard," Craig, the homeowner, said. "We are figuring the next steps. Very thankful there was no loss of life or injury to everyone involved."

Police said the pedestrian was transported to a Toronto-area trauma hospital in critical condition. In an subsequent update, Durham Regional Police Const. Nick Gluckstein told CP24 the pedestrian’s condition has stabilized.

Meanwhile, police said the driver is out of the vehicle and the pool with minor injuries.

"We're still trying to ascertain exactly what happened. We're investigating whether it was a case of a medical incident or if it was something that crossed the road and they left the roadway to avoid that and avoid a collision on the roadway," Gluckstein told CP24 on Friday afternoon, adding that they believe there may have been debris or some type of animal on the roadway.

As a result of the collision, police said several Bell service boxes have been damaged, adding that locals who rely on the telecommunications network for service may experience interruptions.

"Services are expected to be repaired by this evening," Durham Regional Police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

It’s unclear what preceded the crash and what injuries, if any, the driver sustained.

Police said the intersection has been closed as an investigation gets underway.