Police have released a photograph of Hang Vo, the woman who was killed by a reversing garbage truck in downtown Toronto last week, in a bid to locate her next of kin.

Vo was killed early in the morning on Jan. 15 when the driver of a garbage truck backed into a tight alleyway between two office buildings near St. Andrew subway station, striking her, police said.

Emergency services could not save her life, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are asking anyone who might have known Vo or has any information about her to come forward.

The deaths of Vo and Crystal Papineau, who died after becoming stuck in a clothing donation bin, have sparked a new discussion on homelessness and calls for the city to do more on the issue in Toronto.

Vo, of no fixed address, was 58 years old, five-foot-six, 120 pounds, with brown eyes, police said.

A building manager who works in the area told the Star Vo was homeless and had been sleeping at the corner of the alley for a while. Police said Friday that she was known to use various shelters in Toronto.

According to statistics from the city, Toronto’s shelters and emergency respite centres regularly exceed 90 per cent occupancy, with women’s shelters often operating at full capacity.

Police are asking anyone with camera footage of the incident to contact investigators.

Vo is one of six pedestrians killed on Toronto streets so far this year, a rate of more than one every four days.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...