‘Clear your conscience,’ victim’s brother pleads
Corey Johnston died after being struck by two vehicles on George Street
The brother of a 40-year-old man who was struck and killed on George Street on Jan. 14 is pleading for the driver of a car that police are seeking in connection with the incident to come forward to officers.
“If it was an accident, I’m a forgiving man,” said Leo Johnston, 48, of Peterborough.
Leo said his brother, Corey Johnston, was struck twice — by two separate cars — around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 near the pedestrian island in front of the Holiday Inn.
Leo said the first vehicle was driven by Corey’s ex-partner — the mother of Corey’s children — who was allegedly driving with their three kids in the vehicle.
He said Corey was crossing the street to meet his ex and kids at Tim Hortons — and that after Corey was struck, the ex-partner drove away (first to see a friend, then later to get herself to the police station on Water Street).
Leo also said police have told him that surveillance video shows Corey being rendered unconscious when he was first struck — that he was hit by the mirror of the ex’s vehicle and fell to the ground.
Then Corey spent three or four minutes motionless on George Street before another car hit him and ultimately killed him, Leo says.
Corey was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre and then transferred to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto where he died later that night, Leo said.
That second vehicle has not been found, Leo said.
On Friday Peterborough Police released security camera photos of a second vehicle that was in the area at the time of the collision.
The vehicle was a charcoal
grey, four-door hatchback with black rims.
The vehicle was heading north on George Street, continued north on Water Street before turning west onto King Street, south on George Street then west on Sherbrooke Street, police revealed Friday.
Police said Monday the investigation was still ongoing, with no new developments to report.
Also on Monday, Leo urged the owner/driver of the car to come forward to police.
“Do it now,” he said. “If you didn’t do anything wrong, just come forward. You might get a small fine — I don’t know what the consequences are, but you can clear your conscience. And we can move on. It’s for their sake as well — if they’re a halfway decent person, it should be bothering them.”
Leo said he and his mother and his brother Jason will have an easier time putting the tragedy behind them if the person comes forward.
Anyone able to identify the owner or operator of the vehicle can contact city police Const. Gary Pilling at 705-876-1122 ext. 254, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.