At least 22 pedestrians hit in city on Tuesday

At least 22 pedestrians were struck in the city on Tuesday, including a collision in North York that left one woman dead.

At least 16 of the accidents police responded to on Tuesday came within two hours, starting at around 6 p.m., during a wet night in the city, Const. Craig Brister, spokesperson for Toronto Police Services.

Brister said 22 is a low estimate for the night, adding that he had heard of more, but couldn’t yet confirm the total.

Tuesday morning began with a fatal collision. An elderly pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle near Sheppard Ave. W. and Bathurst St. in North York around 7:30 a.m.

At around 6:30 p.m., police responded to another serious collision involving two pedestrians in the Queen St. E. and Dalhousie St. area. Both were transported to the hospital, one with serious injuries.

In majority of Tuesday’s accidents, the pedestrian suffered only minor injuries, according to police and Toronto paramedics.

“This is the biggest round of pedestrians being struck that I’ve come across,” Brister said. He has been spokesperson for Toronto police for a little over a year.

“I have no idea why it’s happening. It could be the weather, the darkness . . .anything.”

The last time police saw a similar surge in pedestrian accidents was between Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, when 14 pedestrians were hit between sunset and the next morning.

Police are advising drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to be extra cautious while driving as the roads become more slippery.