‘It could have been a lot worse,’ says witness, after pedestrian hit, several vehicles damaged during alleged impaired driving crash in Scarborough

A female pedestrian and five others were taken to the hospital following a crash in Scarborough on July 6. (Kamran/video)

It was a chaotic and confusing scene on one street in north Scarbrough on Sunday night after an alleged impaired driver plowed into a female pedestrian then struck several vehicles, some of which were occupied.

The incident happened in the Milliken neighbourhood, near Passmore Avenue and Middlefield Road, just after 9 p.m., and involved 10 vehicles – directly or indirectly, police said in a follow-up news release.

Investigators say a male suspect was operating a black Acura TLX westbound on Passmore heading towards Middlefield when he struck a woman before crashing into several parked and stationary vehicles, which sustained varying levels of damage.

The driver allegedly attempted to run away but was caught by police a short time later at a nearby park.

In total, six people were taken to the hospital, including a 45-year-old female pedestrian.

Paramedics told CTV News Toronto that they also assessed seven people at the scene.

The patients’ injuries are described as minor and non-life-threatening.

On Monday, a tire from the Acura could be seen on the ground near where the incident occurred. Debris was also scattered across several metres as police continued their investigation.

Several eyewitnesses spoke with CTV News Toronto, sharing details about what they saw and heard.

They said that a man driving a black car was seen speeding into the area before hitting a female pedestrian and crashing into a number of vehicles.

They described the motorist as being disoriented – with blood on his shirt - before taking off.

CTV News Toronto has also obtained video of the incident from a viewer.

“I heard some banging sound,” said one man, who was sitting not far away with friends at the time of the crash.

Another man said he estimated that the motorist was driving at 140 km/h in the posted 60 km/h zone.

“It was just a loud bang that just continued on. The car came on Passmore Avenue and then hit multiple cars along the way. And the debris, you can still see (it) over there,” said Syed Abbas, whose vehicle was damaged during the incident.

“And then (the car) went across … jumped on the curb and hit multiple cars on that direction too. Then he fled on foot.”

Abbas, who said he was shocked by what happened and concerned for the wellbeing of his child walking nearby, was back at the scene on Monday trying to fix his damaged tire.

‘It could have been a lot worse,’ says witness

He says at the time of the incident the area was busy with several Shiite Muslims celebrating Ashoura, a holy day of commemoration that falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram. Just hours earlier thousands were in that area and the streets were packed, Abbas said.

“It could have been a lot worse. … If it was just a couple of hours earlier, I couldn’t have imagined. There were people walking everywhere over here,” he said.

Another member of the nearby mosque who was also in the area for the event said his rear tire and back bumper were damaged. He told CTV News Toronto that he was sitting on the grass with friends when they heard a loud bang.

The man said he looked over and saw the motorist swerving in and around his vehicle and other parked vehicles along that stretch of roadway before fleeing his vehicle while other mosque members chased him.

The motorist, 36-six-year-old Markham resident Kareem Mohammed, has been charged with one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle while impaired to any degree by BAC or drug, within 2 hrs. of ceasing to operate a motor vehicle is impaired with BAC equal to or exceeding 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, and possession of a weapon, and two counts of fail to stop at scene of accident. The charges have not been proven in court.

He appeared in bail court this afternoon.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Toronto police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Sean Leathong