Ontario's police watchdog has taken over the investigation of a fatal hit and run in Toronto's east end.
A construction worker lost his life near Midland Ave and Eglinton Ave W at about 11:15 a.m Wednesday.
The Special Investigations Unit explains that a deadly chain of events was put in motion when a Toronto Police officer attempted to pull the driver of a white BMW over down the street.
"That vehicle refused to stop, the officer followed," SIU spokesperson Jason Gennaro told reporters. "A short time later the vehicle struck a man who was cutting concrete."
The driver of the BMW did not pause and took off.
Gennaro could not say why the officer wanted to stop the driver or how fast the two were going. Witnesses have described that BMW moving at a high rate of speed.
Before the SIU invoked its mandate, Toronto Police said a paid duty officer at work at a construction site had his foot run over by the fleeing driver. It is not clear if the officer was injured before or after the fatal impact.
The officer suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.