Ontario Provincial Police has made public a video of a collision in Markham that left two individuals with life-threatening injuries in efforts to identify the suspects who they say intentionally hurled rocks at the vehicle.
The newly released video shows dashcam footage from Sept. 20 of a vehicle in Markham speeding through a red light and colliding with another vehicle. Police said the crash occurred after the driver was hit with a rock and knocked unconscious, losing control of the vehicle.
The 8:45 p.m. crash left two individuals with life-threatening injuries. Police say that one of the individuals has since been released from hospital while the other is still being treated.
The Ontario Provincial Police have released images showing the windshield of a vehicle struck by a large rock in Markham. Ontario Provincial Police/Handout photo
The rock-throwing incident was one of 20 in the region over the past few months, police said in a recent press release. Ontario Provincial Police investigators are looking into 11 rock-throwing incidents along Highway 48 while the York Regional Police is investigating the remaining nine.
“These innocent victims were simply travelling on our roadways, which should be safe for everyone,” OPP Criminal Investigation Branch Det.-Insp. Sean Chatland said in a video.
“It’s shocking that such dangerous acts are occurring in our community. We’re determined to put a stop to it and to relentlessly pursue whoever is responsible. We want to ensure that no other family member or loved one has to endure such a traumatic experience.”
A photo of one of the rocks hurled at a vehicle in Markham, Ont. Ontario Provincial Police photo
The September incident is not the first involving a driver being struck by a rock. York police said a driver was hit in the face at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 when a rock was thrown at his windshield.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated by paramedics at the scene of the incident, police said in a press release.
Thirty minutes earlier another driver was targeted when a large rock was thrown at their moving vehicle. The driver told police the rock came from a vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction.
Based on several additional reports, the OPP said investigators believe a SUV and its occupants may be involved in the rock-throwing incidents. No descriptions of the occupants have been released so far.
The OPP is asking anyone who can identify the vehicle or its passengers to contact investigators.
