A 60-year-old Richmond Hill woman found dead with severe injuries along a Vaughan roadway Tuesday afternoon is now being investigated as a fatal hit-and-run.
Police said the woman, who worked as a live-in caregiver, had gotten off a bus near Pine Valley Drive and Major Mackenzie Drive at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. She was walking north along the narrow roadside when she was struck by a northbound vehicle, which then left the area.
Her body was discovered nearly two days later, shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, after a passerby spotted a suitcase belonging to her along the road. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said the location was relatively isolated, with no sidewalk and dense vegetation along parts of Pine Valley Drive. The victim was found some distance from the roadway, making her difficult for passing motorists to see.
Police are asking the driver to surrender and assist with the investigation. Based on the severity of the woman’s injuries, investigators believe the vehicle likely suffered substantial damage and that the driver would have been aware of the collision.
Police are urging anyone with information or surveillance or dashcam footage to come forward.
Update – After obtaining public security footage and recovering debris from the scene, investigators were able to identify a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van as the vehicle involved. On Oct. 16, a 41-year-old Vaughan resident, Kamel Hazime, was arrested and charged with failing to stop after an accident resulting in death.