Peel police are investigating after a woman killed in a collision in Brampton over the weekend was not discovered until her family reported her missing.
The remains of a woman killed in a Brampton collision over the weekend were not discovered until after her family reported her missing hours later, and the vehicle she was in had already been taken to a towing yard, police say.
The crash, which involved two vehicles, happened on Nov. 1 at around 4:20 a.m. near Chinguacousy Road and Queen Street.
Initially, Peel Regional Police had reported that one person was located at the scene with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased. The victim has only been identified as a 31-year-old man from Brampton.
“Upon initial arrival at the scene, first responders located a deceased driver inside a Honda Civic. Brampton Fire and Emergency Services (BFES) extricated the deceased driver from the vehicle,” media officer Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said in a follow-up email to CP24 on Wednesday evening.
“The scene was processed, and both involved vehicles were seized and transported to the police impound yard for further analysis.”
Bell-Morena indicated that at that time there was “no immediate or clear indication of a passenger” in the Honda.
On Tuesday, however, investigators announced a second fatality, a 20-year-old woman from Brampton.
“In the hours after the collision, we received reports of a missing 20-year-old woman whose last known location, confirmed through a shared tracking app, was the crash site. Officers simultaneously checked the crash scene and attended the impound yard to determine whether evidence of a passenger existed,” Bell-Morena told CP24 in that aforementioned email.
“Officers closely examined the rear passenger compartment of the demolished Honda Civic and located the remains of the deceased woman embedded in the wreckage, at which point, we requested the assistance of BFES for her extrication with the use of specialized equipment.”
Brampton fatal collision Fatal two car collision in Brampton. (CP24/Jacob Estrin)
Bell-Morena indicated that police will be conducting a “joint debrief” with their partners to “fully review the incident,” adding that they “recognize the profound impact of this tragedy and ask that the privacy of the families involved be respected as they continue to grieve this loss.”
“Our thoughts remain with the families and all those affected by this tragic collision,” he said.
The driver of the other vehicle, a minor who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and failure/refusal to comply with demand.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.