A small plane that crashed onto a road in a commercial part of Peterborough early Friday morning was stolen from Markham Airport, police say.

The fatal crash happened on Lansdowne Street near High Street shortly after 1 a.m.

Paramedics responded to the scene and attempted to resuscitate the 21-year-old pilot but pronounced him dead a short time later.

Police say the pilot was the only person on board the plane.

It is not clear whether he was a licensed pilot or, for that matter, had any experience flying. All that police have revealed about the pilot at this time is that he is from Markham.

“Our investigation will continue to determine the events that led to the theft of the plane and also the circumstances around the crash,” Staff Sgt. Lynne Buehler told reporters on Friday morning.

Buehler said that “every indication” suggests that the pilot was attempting to land the plane on the roadway; however she said it is too early to say whether technical issues brought about the attempted crash landing.

Buehler also declined to provide a motive for the theft of the plane, which she said was taken from an unstaffed airport.

“York Regional Police are investigating the theft of the plane since it occurred in their jurisdiction,” she said.

The crash occurred on a busy commercial artery that is close to Peterborough’s downtown.

Speaking with CP24 on Friday morning, a woman who works in a nearby store said the pilot was alive in the immediate aftermath of the crash but was gravely injured.

“I heard the bang and I saw the motor come flying, so I ran over to the plane top see if we could help the guy,” she said. “He was alive. He was moaning to us to let us know he was alive and we just kept saying ‘help is coming, hold on, hold on.’ I guess by the time the ambulance got there he was gone.”

Jorja Barclay, a resident in the area, said she witnessed the low flying plane descent to the street.

"I was out on the balcony just after 1 a.m. and this plane was flying too low and too fast and then I heard a boom, so I went inside and got dressed and came out here and asked one of the officers if it had crashed and they said yes," Barclay told CTV Toronto.

The plane was registered to a Newmarket man, according to Transport Canada records.

The Transportation Safety Board has deployed a team of investigators to Peterborough to probe the circumstances surrounding the crash.