Peel Regional Police are appealing for witnesses after one of its officers died of injuries suffered in a car crash late Monday while on patrol in Brampton.
Chief Mike Metcalf will be holding a news conference at 9 a.m. Wednesday to speak about the officer's death. Police have not yet released the officer's name.
Earlier on Tuesday, police spokesperson Const. J.P. Valade told CTV Toronto they want to speak with witnesses about the circumstances that may have led up to the crash tha involved another vehicle.
"At this point, I can't comment on whether speed was specifically related to this particular collision," he said.
"The officer was on duty. He was on general patrol. He was not responding to a specific call," Valade said. "We want to speak to eyewitnesses who can give us information about speed."
He sustained massive, life-threatening injuries when his police cruiser collided with a black sedan on Airport Road at Steeles Avenue just after 11 p.m. Paramedics took him to Toronto's Sunnybrook hospital, which has a special trauma unit.
The impact of the crash sent the police cruiser careening into a light fixture. Images from the scene show the cruiser wrapped around the pole. The driver was unconscious when police arrived and had to be extricated from the scene.
The civilian driving the black car was not seriously injured.
The police officer had been with the Peel Regional Police Service for two years. Senior officials with the service spent Tuesday in hospital visiting their colleague.
"It's obviously a very emotional issue," Valade said. "Our thoughts and prayers are obviously with the officer and his family."
With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin
