Pedestrian killed in Hamilton during 'tornado'-like crash on Main Street

Hamilton police say a woman has died after being hit by a vehicle near the intersection of Main Street West and Locke Street South in a collision a witness compared to a "tornado" Thursday afternoon.

Emergency crews were called to the scene around 2:10 p.m.

A pedestrian was taken to hospital without vital signs, according to Dave Thompson, a superintendent with Hamilton Paramedic Services. Resuscitation efforts were ongoing, he added.

In an update posted to Twitter at 4:48 p.m., police stated that a woman in her 40s had died of her injuries. They asked residents to avoid the area as the investigation continues.

It marks the 10th time a pedestrian was killed in a crash this year.

Richard Newsome was walking along Main Street when said he witnessed a car "pinball" into a porch, a sign and a light pole.

Traffic was like a "parking lot" when a black car suddenly accelerated and jumped the curb, he said.

The vehicle "collided with the house, the sign, the building, basically rolled through the sidewalk," said Newsome.

"The last thing I saw before the tornado was the DART bus driver on the sidewalk."

DARTS is a non-profit service that provides accessible transit in Hamilton. A representative said the organization had no comment, when contacted by CBC Hamilton Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour said it dispatched two inspectors to the scene after receiving reports a worker had been hit by a vehicle. Its investigation is ongoing.

Inside the police tape that surrounded the intersection was a black car, heavily damaged, with its air bags deployed.

Shattered glass and scattered car parts covered the road and a DARTS bus with a door hanging from its side could be seen a short distance away.

Newsome was in the area to pick up some paperwork and said he was about 24 metres from where the crash started.

If it wasn't for his dog slowing him down he would have been a lot closer, he said.

"It's disturbing," said Newsome. "It's the worst accident I've seen."

The witness said he saw a woman get out of the black car and that they appeared to be "moving fine."

A man and a woman, who was visibly upset at the scene of the crash, said they were related to a woman in her 70s who had been driving the black car.

The collision is the latest in a string of crashes in the city, including several in the area.

"Enough!" tweeted Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann Thursday. She added she's working with Ward 1 representative Maureen Wilson "on a motion to address these killer streets."

A man and girl were injured in a crash involving a transport truck at King Street West and Dundurn Street South on April 25.

Police described the location as Top 10 intersection for collisions in the city at the time.

Hamilton councillors also recently approved safety reviews of two intersections following a spate of crashes involving pedestrians.

One of those crossings is Dundurn and Main Street West, just a short distance from the scene of the crash on Thursday.

A 14-year-old girl, who investigators said was walking home from school, was hit and left critically injured on March 30. Police said she has since been released from hospital, but that her recovery continues.

Thursday's collision comes one day after Hamilton city councillors voted to review recommendations to make walking, cycling, or taking public transit safer and more accessible. The recommendations were made by the Bay Area Climate Change Council in their report, Options for Travel, and include improving "sidewalk to road ratio" in the city and completing "walk audits" in certain areas.