Airborne car crash in North York caught by surveillance camera

This photo shows the airborne car as it crashes into an auto repair shop on May 31.

A man is in hospital in serious condition after his car flew through the air and crashed into a North York auto repair shop in an incident captured on surveillance cameras.

Toronto paramedics responded to a call around 11:30 a.m. after a black Subaru crashed into a building in the Leslie Street and Coldwater Road area, just north of York Mills Road.

Surveillance footage obtained by CTV Toronto shows the car flying over the ledge of a gas station next door and slamming into an auto repair shop.

There is no word on exactly why the vehicle lost control and crashed into the building but police are working with the theory that the driver was pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.

After the crash, stunned bystanders nearby came over to assist the driver. He was extricated from the vehicle by Toronto Fire when they arrived on scene.

The owner of the auto repair shop was stunned by the crash as he reviewed the surveillance footage after being called to his shop.

“The car went airborne, missing the cars that were parked and went through the building clean, and was stopped by a structural beam,” said Bob Elford, the owner of the auto body repair shop.

The driver was transported to hospital with serious injuries, but is expected to survive.