Pedestrian collisions spike in T.O.

At least 16 pedestrians were hit in a series of collisions on Toronto streets Thursday that sent at least one man in his 80s to a trauma centre with lifethreatening injuries.

That collision, which happened in Etobicoke, near Kipling Ave. and Annabelle Dr., was the most serious injury of the night, Toronto police Sgt. Brett Moore said. The victim was struck by a car shortly before 8:40 p.m.

Thursday night saw heavy rain and challenging road conditions in the city.

In a separate collision, a passenger died after the taxi she was in struck several other vehicles, including a TTC bus, near Avenue Rd. and Lawrence Ave. shortly after 5 p.m. The victim, a woman believed to be in her 40s, was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

An hour later, a 45-year-old woman was struck by a car in the same area and transported to a trauma centre. She suffered an injury to her leg and complained of chest pains, police said.

Twenty minutes later, at 6:30 p.m., paramedics transported a woman in her 30s to a trauma centre in serious condition after she was struck by a car near Danforth Ave. and Main St.

Pedestrian accidents tend to go up this time of year due to a number of factors, Moore said, particularly early darkness and inclement weather.

The combined total of 38 cyclist and pedestrian deaths this year is the highest by this date in any year since 2007, the earliest available data.