Peel Regional Police are searching for the driver of a white cargo van after a cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run involving what police say was a stolen utility trailer Wednesday morning.

Paul De Pledge, a 39-year old Brampton man, was biking to work around 6 a.m. when a trailer became dislodged from the vehicle towing it, and collided with him, police said.

He was dragged along with his bicycle about 100 feet off the road and onto the lawn of a business. The trailer only came to a halt when it hit a building, pinning De Pledge and his bike against the wall. He was not found until 8:03 a.m. when firefighters and paramedics were called and arrived at 8:13 a.m. and attempted to revive De Pledge. He was pronounced dead at the scene, paramedics said.

Const. Danny Marttini said police do not have an exact time for when De Pledge was hit but are basing their approximation on accounts of his daily routine given by people at his workplace. Marttini said police were told De Pledge usually arrived earlier than his 8 a.m. start time.

Police said the vehicle pulling the trailer fled the scene, and they had surveillance footage of the white Nissan NV cargo van with no plates, both with and without the trailer. Police found the unoccupied van on Jasper Cres. at 4:15 p.m. A portion of the street is closed for the investigation.

The trailer had been stolen from a local business not long before the collision occurred, police said. It has “markings” on the driver’s side rear panel, according to Peel police spokesperson Const. Akhil Mooken.

“It’s hard to tell exactly what it (the marking) is,” he said. “It could be paint damage, it could be a logo, it’s hard to see.”

There is still no description of the driver available.

“Viewing some of the preliminary video surveillance, indications are the driver is aware (that their vehicle struck the cyclist),” Mooken said.

Whether the trailer became dislodged from the vehicle due to the collision itself, or became dislodged just before or after the collision, is part of the investigation, police said.

The collision happened in front of Keele Warehousing and Logistics at 90 Summerlea Rd., near Walker Dr., in the area of Torbram Rd. and Steeles Ave. E. The area was closed off for a couple hours but has since reopened.

Police are poring over other video surveillance footage from the street, which is in an industrial area where multiple businesses have cameras, according to police.

Police are urging the driver to speak to a lawyer and surrender.

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“Let us know what happened,” Mooken said in a message to the driver.

Last year, Peel police investigated 200 collisions involving cyclists.

“This is not one we see very often,” Mooken said of the unusual circumstances. “In my career, this is the first time I’ve seen this.”

Alexandra Jones is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @AlexandraMaeJ

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