Home > News

Greater Toronto Area cyclist dead after violent crash

One cyclist is dead and another injured in the Greater Toronto Area city of Vaughan, following a violent two-vehicle collision near the intersection of Dufferin St. and Steeles.

Police tape
Image: Tony Webster via Compfight cc
Image: Tony Webster via Compfight cc

One cyclist is dead and another injured in the Greater Toronto Area city of Vaughan, following a violent two-vehicle collision near the intersection of Dufferin St. and Steeles.

According to reports, the two cyclists were at the corner of Dufferin and Glen Shields Ave., just north of Steeles, when two vehicles collided in the intersection. Although not part of the collision themselves, the two cyclists were hit by a falling hydro pole after it was struck. One rider was taken to hospital with serious injuries; the other was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vehicles, meanwhile, carried three people in all: two drivers and one passenger. All three were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Though it happened in a neighbouring municipality, Monday’s crash hits close to home for cyclists at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, after Toronto Police Service statistics were published earlier this month that included three cycling casualties among its 2015 figures — all within a two-week period. Addressing what’s argued to be a systemic civic infrastructure problem, cyclists and advocates staged a “die-in” outside Toronto City Hall, demanding the official adoption of a Vision Zero transportation policy, a boost in the municipal government’s bike coffers to $20 million, and the introduction of 100 km of dedicated bike lanes throughout the city.

The identities of the injured and deceased cyclists have yet to be released. Though York Regional Police reported that charges are pending and an investigation is ongoing, the cause of the accident remains unknown.