A 31-year-old man has been arrested and a motorcycle has been seized in connection with a hit-and-run incident in the city’s east end that left a four-year-old boy fighting for his life in a pediatric trauma centre.
On Sunday, Radiul Chowdhury was walking with family in the area of Victoria Park Avenue and Adair Road at around 1:30 p.m. when the four-year-old boy went onto the roadway and was struck by a northbound motorcycle.
Police told CP24 that the motorcyclist stopped briefly and a female passenger got off the bike. She fled the area on foot and the motorcyclist then took off, officers said.
On Sunday evening, police released surveillance camera images of two people they said were believed to be involved in the incident.
At around 5 p.m. on Monday, Toronto police confirmed an arrest had been made in connection with the investigation in Markham and said three charges had been laid. However, investigators did not release the suspect’s name.
“Traffic service investigators have made an arrest in that case and we’ve seized, what they believe to be, the motorcycle involved,” Sgt. Brett Moore told reporters. “At this point in time, we are not naming the male or female whose photos were posted online and through the media but I can tell you that a 31-year-old male was arrested around 1:48 p.m. – about 24 hours after the crash occurred yesterday.”
“This 31-year-old male will be making a court appearance tomorrow. We are not naming the person or saying where the court location is.”
Moore said the female passenger is now known to police and investigators are following up on whether or not she will be facing any charges.
The young boy sustained life-threatening injuries in the incident and was subsequently rushed to the intensive care unit at SickKids Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
His father Ruhul Chowdhury said his son has not yet regained consciousness but there is still hope that he will survive.
“His brain is damaged. He has (a) broken elbow, broken shoulder, broken legs. But doctors are not worried about those things right now. They are worried about his brain. His brain is really damaged,” he said.
Chowdhury said staff members at the hospital have indicated that they’ve seen positive signs but cannot make any definitive conclusions at this point.
“When my wife went to see him to the ICU… she (said), ‘Hey Radi, mommy is here,” Chowdhury said. “We got a little response.”
He added that doctors will provide the family with an update on Radiul’s condition after they perform an MRI later on Monday.
“I think right now he needs prayers from everyone,” Chowdhury said.
Moore said investigators want to thank the public for their ongoing assistance in this investigation.
“This is one case that I can tell you 32 Crime Stoppers tips were received,” he said. “We had over six people call traffic services directly and because of that that’s how this investigation was able to move so quickly to a successful conclusion.”
Witness are still urged to come forward with any additional details in this incident, Moore said.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact investigators at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).