A 79-year-old pedestrian is dead after she was struck by a driver late Sunday afternoon, Toronto police say.

The woman was crossing Victoria Park Avenue, at Old Sheppard Avenue, from the west to the east side of the street when she was struck at 5:10 p.m., police said.

A 57-year-old woman, driving a brown Lexus west on Huntingwood Drive before making a left turn to go south on Victoria Park, struck the pedestrian.

The driver remained at the scene, police say. The pedestrian was later pronounced dead.

The investigationg is ongoing.

Including the 79-year-old woman, five pedestrians have been killed on Toronto roads this year. They are:

A 65-year-old man died on Jan. 4 after being struck by the driver of a vehicle near Jarvis Street and Gerrard Street East in a hit-and-run.

A 26-year-old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a tractor-trailer near Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue West in North York on Jan. 21. The driver didn’t stay at the scene but was located later in the day. The block is frequented by drivers of heavy trucks which bring goods back and forth to warehouses and manufacturing companies.

A 76-year-old man died on Jan. 28 after being struck by the driver near Dundas Street West and Scarlett Road.

A 63-year-old man died on Jan. 29 after being struck by a driver near Lawrence Avenue East and the Donway West. The pedestrian was crossing Lawrence, between The Donway West and Don Mills Road, when a 29-year-old man driving west in a BMW struck him, police said.

According to statistics compiled by the Star using police and media reports, 42 pedestrians were killed on Toronto streets in 2019.

That is tied for the highest total since 2002, when 50 pedestrians were killed.

The Star began keeping its own count of traffic deaths in 2017 to fill gaps in police numbers, which don’t include fatalities that occur on private property or provincially owned 400 series highways.

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

In June 2019, Mayor John Tory announced “Vision Zero 2.0,” a revamp of a three-year-old plan that has so far failed to reduce the city’s rate of traffic deaths. The plan calls for lower speed limits, which Tory said he wants implemented quickly, with stickers over existing signs if need be.

The plan also calls for the implementation of short-term design changes using paint, bollards and other features, rather than waiting for crumbling streets to be routinely rebuilt with the city’s “complete streets” system that includes pedestrian safety concerns.