

Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





A 60-year-old man is dead after he was struck by a vehicle while standing on a downtown sidewalk early Sunday.

The man was struck as he stood chatting with another man on Queen Street East near Parliament Street around 1:30 a.m., police said.

Police said a black GMC sport utility vehicle travelling westbound jumped the sidewalk, knocking down a street sign and a trash container before smashing into a tree and crushing the man.

He was rushed to hospital where he died a short time later.

His friend, a 48-year-old man, was also struck, but sustained only minor injuries.

Witnesses told police that the vehicle appeared to be traveling between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour when the car left the road.

Police say the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is being cooperative.

It’s not yet clear why the vehicle veered off the road.

Investigators say they will be looking at surveillance footage from nearby buildings to try and determined why the car veered off the road.

Queen Street was closed for a time between Power and Sherbourne streets as police investigated the collision. The road reopened around 8 a.m.

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