Man, 3-year-old daughter struck and killed after car crash in Pickering

A man and his three-year-old daughter have died after being hit by a vehicle moments after they were in a car crash in Pickering on Tuesday night, Durham Regional Police said. 

Police were called to the area of Taunton and Brock roads at about 7:50 p.m. for a report of a driver failing to remain at the scene of a collision, according to a news release on Wednesday. 

The 40-year-old man was driving a Honda and making a left turn onto Taunton Road when he struck a Nissan travelling southbound, the release said.

He continued driving west on Taunton for about 350 metres, before striking a guardrail and coming to a stop in a ditch, it added.

Police said the man then exited the Honda with his daughter.

It is unclear why they got out of the car, but it had sustained significant damage and air bags had been deployed, Const. Nicholas Gluckstein told reporters on Wednesday.

"Potentially, the occupants of that vehicle were walking back to the initial collision site to speak with the second driver," he said. "However, we don't have that confirmed." 

Police said the man was attempting to cross Taunton while carrying his child when they were struck by the driver of a BMW, the release said.

The man was taken without vital signs to a local hospital, where he died, Gluckstein said. The child was treated at a trauma centre in Toronto but also died soon afterwards, he said.

The drivers of the Nissan and BMW both sustained minor injuries, he said.

Dave Pickles, a regional councillor in Pickering, said the community is distressed by the deaths. He said there may have been some confusion and panic following the initial collision.

"After the first crash, it looks like they may have been attempting to cross a very busy road, not at the intersection, and it's not somewhere where a driver would expect to see a pedestrian typically."

Police not considering charges

The lighting on the roadway where the pair were struck "is not the best," Gluckstein said. He said police will investigate whether the lighting contributed to the collision. 

Gluckstein said he believes police are not considering charges.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.