As investigators combed through the twisted wreckage left from an accident that killed two teens and critically injured another yesterday, a city councillor called for a review of policies surrounding police chases.
A 15-year-old boy was driving a stolen blue Acura being pursued by police when he smashed into two taxis and wrapped the car around a light pole at Finch and Islington Aves. just after 2 a.m. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
Two teenaged girls were in one of the taxis. A 16-year-old died at the scene, while a 17-year-old remains in critical condition. The Royal and Beck taxi drivers weren't seriously injured when they were struck as they drove eastbound on Finch. All three cars ended up in the westbound lanes.
It's not yet known if the boy was involved in a gun call police were responding to near Islington and Albion Rd. when he sped past them and the two marked cruisers began following him north on Islington.
"It's far too early at this stage in our investigation to be able to conclusively say what role the police played," said Rose Bliss, spokesperson for the province's special investigations unit, which is probing the incident.
Bliss wouldn't comment on whether the police had their lights or sirens on as they pursued the vehicle.
Calling the incident a "terrible tragedy," Councillor Howard Moscoe said the issue of police chases needs to be addressed.
"I'm not sure of the extent to which ... whoever was doing the chasing was not following the policy (governing police chases) – that's the first question," Moscoe said.
"The second question is, if he was following policy was it appropriate, and maybe the policy needs to be further reviewed."
This isn't the first time a police pursuit has ended tragically.
Last year, the SIU probed a high-speed police chase that left a 39-year-old man dead and three others injured when the car being pursued smashed into a taxi at Lawrence Ave. E. and Warden Ave. Two officers in a marked cruiser were conducting radar in the area when a car sped by. After they began following it, the car crashed into a taxi before jumping the sidewalk and smashing into a bus shelter.
A 22-year-old driver died after a car being chased by police following a break-and-enter in April 2005 smashed into his car.
In October 2004, a driver was killed after being thrown from his demolished car following a brief police chase on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near the CNE grounds. The car was speeding west when it sideswiped a tractor-trailer and crashed.
"If the person in the car was known to be engaged in a major crime or to be dangerous, there might be some justification," Moscoe said of yesterday's incident. "But there's almost no other justification for chasing a car at high speeds through the streets of Toronto."
NOW Y WOULD HE STEAL THIS CAR ... IF HE HAD TO STEAL SOMETHING THEN STEAL SOMETHING NICE WHICH IS WORTH IT ... HE WAS JUST ONLY 15 AND START STEALING ALRIGHTY :s