Police are searching for a 23-year-old Toronto man who investigators believe tried to run over someone with a vehicle at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and wound up striking four people during a shocking incident on Tuesday afternoon.
Police identified the suspect as Ryan Petroff and urged him to turn himself in.
Toronto police Insp. Errol Watson said police believe Petroff targeted a specific individual but wouldn’t comment on the relationship between the two.
Police have also released an image of Petroff. Anyone who sees him should alert police and not approach him as he’s considered dangerous, Watson said.
“Mr. Petroff, if you are seeing this, get legal counsel and turn yourself in to the police,” he said.
Petroff faces a slew of charges including, but not limited to, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.
Watson said he would not comment on possible motivation at this point. He also would not comment on whether Petroff is known to police.
“I understand there is significant interest in the circumstances that led to this violent incident. What I can confirm is that individuals at the scene were able to identify Mr. Petroff as the suspect,” Watson said.
The collision happened on Nelson Mandela Walk, a pedestrian walkway just south of Gerrard Street that sits between the campus library and an academic building. It happened just before 2 p.m.
In a news release on Wednesday, police said the vehicle used by Petroff was a green, four-door Honda Accord with stolen licence plates. The licence plate number is DEDZ 565. Watson said police have not yet located the vehicle and cannot say whether it was stolen.
“It is believed that the vehicle sustained damage to the windshield as a result of the collision,” police said in the release.
Two people were taken to hospital, though all four who were hit are expected to survive. None were TMU students or staff, though the incident left many on campus shaken.
Third-year TMU student Isaac Meng told reporters he was studying in the library next to the walkway around 1:50 p.m., when he heard a loud, revving sound.
He said one of his friends started calling out loudly to him, “A car just crashed [into] people! A car just crashed [into] people!”
Meng said he rushed to the window, but the car was already gone. He says he saw a man lying on the grass, apparently unconscious, as people tried to call to him. At that point, he and his friend called the police, he said.
“It was crazy,” Meng said, saying it was like a scene out of a movie.
TMU said Wednesday it’s working with the City of Toronto on adding safety measures to Nelson Mandela Walk, while keeping the walkway open to emergency vehicles.
“As an immediate measure to ensure pedestrian and public safety, planters have been placed at the main entrances to Nelson Mandela Walk,” it said in a statement.
Mayor Olivia Chow and several TMU officials discussed the incident while attending a gala event put on by the university late Tuesday.
TMU issued a safety alert online at the time.
“Our thoughts are with those who have been injured and impacted by this incident,” TMU said in a statement.
