Man seriously injured but now in stable condition after hit-and-run

HAMILTON

POLICE are working to identify both the victim and the driver after a serious hit-andrun crash that closed a stretch of the downtown throughout the morning on Wednesday.

The crash, which happened around 5:30 a.m. at King and Hess streets, was one of two serious collisions in the city that caused traffic problems.

In the hit-and-run crash, a man in his 30s, who police were still working to identify as of Wednesday afternoon, was crossing southbound when he was hit by a westbound vehicle, said Const. Lorraine Edwards.

The driver fled on foot, leaving behind a blue Mini Cooper with a large dent in the hood and front windshield. Police did not release a suspect description.

The victim was rushed to hospital, where he remains stable, but in serious condition, Edwards said.

The collision reconstruction unit continues to interview witnesses and police are looking for any sur-

veillance video in the area.

The investigation had King closed between Bay and Queen streets, and northbound traffic on Hess and Caroline from Main closed until around noon. Transit was also being detoured around the area.

The closures caused significant traffic problems, with some reporting 40-minute delays.

This was in addition to a closure for about an hour and half on Highway 6 near the Hamilton airport.

In that three-vehicle crash, four people went to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, OPP said.

The crash happened on Highway 6 at Chippewa Road before 8 a.m. It closed the highway between Upper James Street and Chippewa until about 9:30 a.m.

GARY YOKOYAMA THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Police take photographs of a suspect’s vehicle that was left Wednesday at the scene of a hit-and-run crash near King and Hess. The suspect fled on foot.

GARY YOKOYAMA THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Wednesday’s crime scene caused significant traffic delays in the area around King and Hess streets.