By Vihaan Bhatnagar, Shumaila Mubarak and Jasmine Makar
Four pedestrians were injured following a hit-and-run on Nelson Mandela Walk on Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) campus just before 2 p.m. today.
Emergency services arrived on scene at 1:55 p.m at at the north end of Nelson Mandela Walk which is located near the intersection of Yonge Street and Gerrard Street East.
According to Toronto Paramedic Services, two people were taken to a local hospital, one with minor injuries and the other with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Toronto Paramedic Services added that the other injured pedestrians were assessed on the scene as having minor injuries and did not need to be transported to the hospital.
According to a post on X by Toronto Police Operations, the vehicle fled the scene and was last spotted heading eastbound on Gould Street towards Church Street. Police have identified the vehicle as a dark green sedan with a cracked windshield and an unknown license plate.
A TMU Safe notification was released at approximately 2:15 p.m. to all students, informing them to “avoid Nelson Mandela Walk between Gerrard Street E and Gould Street immediately.”
TMU third-year mathematics and its applications student Isaac Meng witnessed the aftermath of the accident from the Podium building. “One of my friends just told me that, ‘A car just crashed [into] people.’ I suddenly rushed to the side of the window, but the car was gone.”
Meng’s friend called emergency services after the accident unfolded.
At an official press conference on campus at 5:20 p.m., Toronto Police Duty Insp. Todd Jocko confirmed none of the injured individuals are TMU students or staff.
“It’s still early in this investigation but at this time, it appears that it may have been an intentional targeting of a specific individual on the walkway,” said Jocko. “We’re speaking to all witnesses who are here and reviewing video surveillance that’s in the area.”
Though police suspect the involved “appear to be parties that are known to each other,” Toronto Police Services can’t confirm their relationship at this point in the investigation.
Jocko confirmed the suspected targeted individual was not one of the two people who were taken to the hospital.
In an X post published at 6:20 p.m., Toronto Police Operations stated that the two people taken to the hospital have sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Police have confirmed the vehicle—a dark green sedan with a broken windshield and the license plate “DEDZ 565”—was last seen travelling eastbound on Gould Street.
A TMU Safe notification released at 7:34 p.m. has confirmed with the Toronto Police that “the active investigation in Nelson Mandela Walk is all clear” and that normal campus operations have resumed.
This is a developing story. The Eyeopener will provide updates as they become available.
With files from Jerry Zhang and Daniel Opasinis
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