Police search for driver after hit-and-run with traffic light

An SPVM police vehicle is seen in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi)

The driver of an SUV is being sought by police after a hit-and-run involving property damage in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough early Tuesday morning.

Montreal police (SPVM) received several 911 calls at 2:30 a.m. about the incident on Notre-Dame Street and De Lorimier Avenue.

“When officers arrived on the scene, they found only the damaged vehicle,” said Caroline Chèvrefils, a spokesperson with Montreal police. “The driver had already fled the scene.”

She hypothesizes that the SUV was possibly driving “at high speeds towards the west” when it collided with a traffic light pole.

“The driver involved in the collision has not yet been identified and/or located at this stage of the investigation,” said Chèvrefils.

A security perimeter has been established in the area, and police are working to determine whether surveillance footage captured the incident.

According to Chèvrefils, the westbound lanes of Notre-Dame Street remain closed to traffic between René-Lévesque Boulevard and De Lorimier Avenue.

Additionally, De Lorimier Avenue is closed northbound from Notre-Dame Street to René-Lévesque Boulevard.

Police are onsite to direct traffic.