York Regional Police (YRP) are urging a driver involved in a hit-and-run in Markham on Thursday that left a 19-year-old female with life-threatening injuries to turn themselves in.
Emergency crews were called to the Denison Street and Featherstone Avenue area at around 3:41 p.m.
Investigators say a female pedestrian was crossing Denison Street when she was struck by a vehicle. The driver fled the scene in a dark-blue Honda Civic with winter tires.
A police spokesperson confirmed with CityNews that a 19-year-old woman was rushed to a trauma centre, where she remains in critical condition with life-altering injuries.
Constable Lisa Moskaluk said the victim had just gotten off a bus when she was crossing in a crosswalk with the right-of-way. The vehicle was turning left when they struck the woman.
“This vehicle continued with the victim on the hood of their vehicle for about 50 metres. They would have known that they had struck someone,” said Const. Moskaluk.
She explained that the vehicle, without stopping, then continued “in quite a dangerous manner,” eastbound along Denison street towards Middlefield Avenue.
“When they got to Middlefield, there was a red light, and this vehicle then decided to drive into oncoming traffic to avoid waiting at the light to turn northbound onto Middlefield,” she shared.
Police are searching for the driver and vehicle, which is described as a dark blue four-door Honda Civic from 2016 to 2020 that had winter tires on steel rims, chrome trim and dark-tinted windows. It will have significant windshield damage, and damage to the hood and roof.
Moskaluk urged the driver to turn themselves into police.
“So far, you made a mistake, and your mistake will continue if you do not turn yourself in. We are, strongly, urging you to turn yourself in to your lawyer, to us to explain your decision yesterday, to the community,” she said.
She also asked if anyone witnessed the crash, sees the car or if any auto shops have seen a car with this kind of damage to contact police immediately.
“This isn’t just an investigation. This is a 19-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her, and somebody making a really poor decision to non stop and help her after striking her.”
The intersection was closed for several hours as a result of the investigation.