

Chris Fox, CP24.com





A construction worker was struck and killed by a vehicle that was being pursued by police in Scarborough on Wednesday morning.

According to the Special Investigations Unit, an officer was attempting to stop a white BMW that was travelling eastbound on Eglinton Avenue near Midland Avenue at around 11:15 a.m. when the vehicle sped away from the scene and struck the worker just west of the intersection.

The 41-year-old worker, who was cutting concrete at the time, was pronounced dead on scene.

The man, from a community west of Alliston, Ont., has not been identified.

The SIU is investigating but has not yet provided any details on what prompted the officer to attempt to stop the vehicle in the first place.

The SIU has assigned six investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist to the case.

“What police were trying to do when they were attempting to stop that vehicle is something our investigation is trying to determine,” Spokesperson Jason Gennaro told reporters on Wednesday.

Gennaro said that SIU investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the incident as well as area residents and businesses who may have surveillance cameras that captured it.

Meanwhile, Toronto police are continuing to look for the white BMW, which was last seen travelling northbound on Gilder Drive.

One area resident who spoke to CP24 earlier on Wednesday described a scary ordeal as the vehicle fled the scene.

“I was walking up the road heading for Eglinton and Midland and I could smell burning tire so I looked to the right and there was a car speeding really fast and when he got to me he made a 360-degree turn and then sped off. The whole time pieces of his tire were falling off,” Jamilah Kukubor said. “My kids are in a daycare just on the street he turned on to. It’s pretty scary. “

Gennaro was asked whether police are looking for multiple suspects or a single driver but said that he has not been given that information.

Earlier on Wednesday, police said that one officer sustained minor injuries in the hit-and-run. The SIU later said, however, that no officer was injured as a result of the incident.

The SIU investigates whenever there are reports of death, serious injury or alleged sexual assault involving police.