9 DIE IN VAN HORROR
CARNAGE AS MAN DRIVES ON TO PAVEMENT Suspect held after fleeing the scene
NINE people were confirmed dead last night after a man drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto.
Another 16 people were understood to have been injured, five critically and two seriously, during the incident at a busy intersection in the north of the Canadian city.
The suspected driver was reported to have fled the scene of the incident and was arrested several blocks away after a tense stand-off.
Police said: “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.”
A witness said he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a Ryder rental truck and saw people “strewn all over the road”. Paramedics and first responders were on scene treating multiple patients but would not confirm the number or severity of injuries.
Reza Hashemi, who owns a video shop on Yonge Street, said he heard screaming on the other side of the road.
He said the driver appeared to mount the pavement, run into people, and return to mount the pavement again.
Police shut the Yonge and Finch junction after the incident, which happened as ministers from industrial nations gathered in Canada to discuss issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau said: “Our hearts go out to everyone affected.”