Pooran Ramdin didn’t make much of the occupants of a black SUV who approached him in his East York neighbourhood early Monday morning while he was walking his dog.

Police are now looking for that black SUV in connection with the death of a 16-year-old who they say was intentionally struck by a motorist at around 2 a.m. at Cedarvale and Cosburn avenues near East York Memorial Arena. The teen died after being taken to hospital.

Ramdin was walking his Husky along Bracebridge Avenue, which intersects with Cedarvale, when a speeding SUV suddenly stopped next to him.

One of the males in the vehicle asked if he had seen a “young guy running.” Ramdin said no, adding that the exchange only lasted for about 30 seconds.

“The guy with the truck was very angry,” Ramdin said in a phone interview.

He said one of the men claimed the person they were looking for had broken into their vehicle and left the door open.

“Then they sped away northbound on Woodbine and then turned right on one of the streets,” he said.

Shortly after, Ramdin said he heard the sound of squealing tires coming from the east end of Bracebridge.

Ramdin said he was unable to see clearly what was happening at the end of the street because it was dark.

Ramdin went to bed, unaware of what had happened until he woke up at around 6 a.m., to find officers at the scene of the hit and run.

“When I woke up I saw all the tape around,” he said. “I was very surprised.”

He said the dead teen’s uncle visited his work Monday morning after seeing Ramdin on a news broadcast.

“He came to ask me if I recognized the person (driver of the black SUV),” Ramdin said. “I told him no. He was crying.”

Police are looking for a black, four-door small SUV, of unknown make or model with damage to the front of vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle is described as a white male, 20 to 35 years old, round face, about 5-foot-10 with short or balding hair. The passenger is also white, with short to balding hair and similar height and weight to the driver.

Homicide Det. Leslie Dunkley told reporters that they believe the teen was being followed before an “interaction” between him and two people in the vehicle.

“Our investigation up to this point reveals that our victim was intentionally struck,” Dunkley said at the scene.

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Sherri Richardson-Smyth, who lives just a few doors from the hit-and-run scene, wondered why a 16-year-old would be wandering around the neighbourhood at such an hour.

“I don’t get it,” she said.

Jason Miller is a breaking news reporter based in Toronto. Reach him on email: jasonmiller@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @millermotionpic

Miriam Lafontaine is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @mirilafontaine

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