NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, APR 23, 2018 – The white van mowed down at least eight pedestrians shortly before 1:30 p.m., cops said.
Nine people were killed and another 16 were wounded after a driver intentionally plowed a rental van into a crowd of pedestrians in downtown Toronto Monday afternoon, authorities said.
The driver jumped a curb and slammed into a group of people near a busy intersection shortly before 1:30 p.m., deputy Toronto police chief Peter Yuen said.
"I want to offer my condolences to the families and the victims of this tragic event that took place," Yuen told reporters.
The driver, who was not immediately identified, sped off after the crash but was arrested within minutes, police said. A motive for the bloody incident was not immediately known.
Bodies covered by tarps could be seen on the ground after the crash, which left the front grill of the white Ryder van badly buckled.
Claudia Panfil, a spokeswoman for Ryder, confirmed that the rental company is cooperating with investigators.
"We are saddened by this tragic event, and our deepest sympathies go out to those impacted," Panfil told the Daily News in an email. "We take the safety and security related to the use of our entire fleet very seriously and we are cooperating fully with authorities."
Of the 16 injured, five were in critical condition Monday afternoon, according to officials at the nearby Sunnybrook Hospital. Another two victims were in serious condition, the officials said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to immediately speculate whether the crash was terror-related.
"Our hearts go out to anyone affected," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
A white van mowed down at least eight pedestrians in downtown Toronto, Monday.
The crash came as Cabinet members from the G7 countries were gathered in Toronto to discuss a number of international issues, including the battle against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for several similar van-ramming incidents in the past, including one on a bike path on the west side of Manhattan that left eight people dead last year.
The NYPD deployed additional counterterrorism officers to high-profile locations across the city in response to the deadly Toronto crash.
With Nancy Dillon, News Wire Services