Arabnews24.ca:Tuesday 4 July 2023 01:53 PM: Thunder Bay police are urging the driver of an SUV that struck two pedestrians on Monday afternoon, killing one and seriously injuring the other, to turn himself in.
The crash happened near the intersection of Simpson Street and Northern Avenue at about 3:20 p.m.
At a news conference Tuesday morning near the scene, police said the two pedestrians were walking northbound on the sidewalk on Simpson when they were struck from behind by the SUV, after it left the roadway and jumped the curb.
A 42-year-old man was killed and a 38-year-old woman was left with "life-altering injuries," police said.
Insp. Ryan Gibson, who oversees the Thunder Bay Police Service's primary response branch and traffic services, said surveillance video shows the SUV came to a stop on Simpson Street, a short distance from where the collision occurred. The driver is then seen sitting in the vehicle for a few minutes, before exiting and leaving the scene.
Video shows the driver entered the nearby Intercity Shopping Centre.
Police have released the portion of video showing a male with glasses, a black T-shirt, a thin build and short hair entering the mall in hopes it will help identify the suspect.
"I'm really hoping that person's had that time ... to think about the bad decisions they made," Gibson said. "He needs to come turn himself in.
"He needs to get on the phone with his lawyer, come turn himself in or just come down to the Thunder Bay police station — turn yourself in," Gibson said. "This isn't gonna go away.
"You might as well get in front of it and do the right thing after something terrible has happened."
Police ask for public's help
Gibson said he couldn't comment Tuesday morning on whether the driver was impaired.
"We're interested in what we know and what we can prove right now. These investigations aren't done.
"This is just the beginning for us. Obviously there's a process to this, and we'll move forward and we'll see where the information takes us."
The identities of the victims have not been released.
A section of Simpson Street was closed to the public following the collision while police conducted an on-scene investigation. It has since been reopened.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
