UPDATED At least 4 reported killed, several hurt as van slams pedestrians in Toronto

10 dead, 15 injured after van plows into pedestrians in Toronto (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Published time: 23 Apr, 2018 17:57
Edited time: 24 Apr, 2018 06:36
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10 dead, 15 injured after van plows into pedestrians in Toronto (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Investigators view a damaged van seized by police after multiple people were struck at a major intersection northern Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 23, 2018. Saul Porto / Reuters
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Ten people have been killed and 16 more are injured after a white van struck a number of pedestrians in Toronto, police said.
The incident on Yonge Street and Finch Avenue East occurred just after 1 pm local time. The Toronto Police Department said that ten people have been killed and more than a dozen others are injured.

Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital said five of the injured are in a critical condition and another two are in a serious condition. The hospital said on Twitter that its emergency department is on lockdown as an “added precaution.”

VIDEO He hit more people & just kept going': Eyewitnesses on Toronto van ramming incident

Police say they have one person in custody. 

Police have appealed to the public to provide any relevant information concerning the incident via a dedicated hotline. It is expected that an on-site investigation will take “several days,” they cautioned, warning that the area would remain on lockdown during this time.

Earlier, Toronto Police Services Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu told Yahoo Canada that the investigators are not looking for any other suspects at this stage.

VIDEO PICTURES 
Photos and videos from the scene show groups of onlookers gathered behind police cordons as emergency services deal with the aftermath of the incident. One video shows a person bleeding heavily while another shows a body covered with a piece of tarpaulin.
Saul Porto / Reuters
Eyewitness Alex Shaker told CTV News that the van mounted the curb at high speed before travelling southbound.
“He started going down on the sidewalk and crumbling down people one by one,” Shaker said.
Bystanders have posted images on social media showing the aftermath and a number of emergency vehicles attending the scene of the incident.
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At least 4 reported killed, several hurt as van slams pedestrians in Toronto
https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-8-hurt-as-van-slams-into-pedestrians-in-toronto/?utm_source=at-least-8-hurt-as-van-slams-into-pedestrians-in-toronto&utm_medium=desktop-browser&utm_campaign=desktop-notifications
The driver flees the scene, but is later arrested by police; no word yet on the motive for the collision; Foreign Ministry says no Israelis known to be injured
By AGENCIES and TOI STAFF
Today, 10:08 pm  0
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Law enforcement and first responders on scene at Yonge St. at Finch Ave. after a van plows into pedestrians April 23, 2018, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A suspect is in custody after a white van collided with multiple pedestrians. (Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP)
Law enforcement and first responders on scene at Yonge St. at Finch Ave. after a van plows into pedestrians April 23, 2018, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A suspect is in custody after a white van collided with multiple pedestrians. (Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP)
TORONTO, Canada — At least four people were killed and several hurt after a van ran over several pedestrians in central Toronto on Monday before the driver fled, witnesses and police said without specifying whether it was deliberate or an accident.

Officials made no mention of fatalities in the attacks, but pictures from the scene clearly showed at least one body lying on the sidewalk, covered by a plastic tarp. Canadian media reported at least four fatalities.

It was not immediately clear what caused the van to strike the pedestrians in a busy intersection in the north-central part of the city. Police did not immediately identify the driver.

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“At this point, it’s too early to tell what if any motive there was. We are also unable right now to tell the extent or the number of persons injured,” Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said.


A tarp lays on top of a body on Yonge St. at Finch Ave. after a van plowed into pedestrians on April 23, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. A suspect is in custody after a white van collided with multiple pedestrians. (Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP)
A witness,” Phil Zullo, told Canadian Press that he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a Ryder rental truck and saw people “strewn all over the road” where the incident occurred.

“It must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers,” Zullo said. “It was awful. Brutal.”

Toronto paramedic spokeswoman Kim McKinnon said first responders were on scene treating multiple patients, but would not confirm the number or severity of injuries.
Toronto Police OPS

@TPSOperations
2h
Replying to @TPSOperations
S/B Yonge at Finch is closed due to this collision. ^gl


Toronto Police OPS

@TPSOperations
 UPDATE 1:27 pm, police were called to Yonge Street and Finch Avenue East, for a collision. 
A Media Sgt from traffic services is on their way to the scene. 
Too early to confirm the number of pedestrians struck or their injuries. More to come.^gl

6:49 PM - Apr 23, 2018
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Local media reported that the van fled the scene, but police subsequently said it had been located and the driver was in custody.

A video circulating on social media purported to show the arrested driver, though this was not confirmed.

 

Yotam Rozenwald
@Yotam_R82
 #Toronto: possible suspect arrested

7:19 PM - Apr 23, 2018
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Paremedics treat those wounded in Toronto’s Yonge Street south of Finch Avenue, after a van ran down pedestrians on April 23, 2018. (Screen capture: CTV News)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke briefly about the incident in Parliament.

CBS Evening News

@CBSEveningNews
 NEW: Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, weighs in on the van that stuck 8 - 10 pedestrians in Toronto https://cbsn.ws/2vzTAAA 

7:43 PM - Apr 23, 2018
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“Our hearts go out to anyone affected,” he said. “We’re obviously going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that as far as it knew, no Israelis were injured in the incident. It confirmed that all workers at Israel’s Consulate in the city were safe.

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Israel & the Region  Toronto  car-ramming attacks  car accidents