Around 4:30 a.m., a York Regional Police helicopter operator observed a Honda Accord traveling west on the 401 Freeway at a high rate of speed, according to a news release issued by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on September 3.
The SIU said the Accord went down Meadowvale Road and stopped at a Circle K convenience store.
A YRP cruiser attended the scene, but the Accord, which was occupied by four people, left the area and headed back onto the 401 freeway.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers attempted to stop the vehicle but were unsuccessful, the SIU said.
The Accord pulled out onto Avenue Road followed by the OPP.
The SIU said the Accord then collided with an OPP cruiser in the area of Tresillian Road and Bombay Avenue.
It is unclear if the OPP cruiser involved was the one that followed the Accord off the highway.
One of the Accord’s occupants, a 17-year-old boy, fled on foot after the crash, the SIU said.
However, the SIU said he was found a short time later in medical trouble and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The other three occupants were arrested and were not seriously injured.
The ages of the other passengers have not yet been released.
Photos from the scene show a burned OPP cruiser and a heavily damaged city vehicle sitting in the middle of a residential street.
According to Toronto Fire, a vehicle hit a parked car after a police chase. Crews were called to the scene after at least one of the vehicles caught fire.
The SIU invoked its mandate and two investigators, three medical examiners and a collision reconstructionist have been assigned to the case.
The police watchdog investigates all police-involved incidents where there is injury, death or allegations or sexual assault.
The SIU is asking anyone who may have information related to this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online.
