New video has surfaced showing the dramatic arrest of a suspect in two downtown hit-and-run collisions over the weekend.
The first incident happened at St. Clair Avenue West and Yonge Street just before noon on Saturday.
Police say that the driver of a Jeep Patriot was headed east when he struck two pedestrians, on opposite sides of the intersection. One of the pedestrians wasn’t physically injured but the other, a 65-year-old man, had to be transported to hospital in critical condition.
The driver fled the scene but was then allegedly involved in another collision in the area of Jarvis Street and Maitland Place a short time later.
Police say that a 25-year-old cyclist was struck and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The driver allegedly fled the scene once again but was ultimately arrested a short distance away, near Lower Jarvis and Queens Quay East.
In the video, which appears to have been taken by a dashcam, a police cruiser is seen ramming the back of the Jeep at a relatively low speed as it makes a turn, causing it to spin out.
Within moments a second police cruiser then arrives at the scene and boxes in the vehicle. Two officers are then seen approaching the vehicle, one on each side of the vehicle.
It is not clear from the video whether they have firearms drawn.
Police have said that a 31-year-old Kitchener man was also ultimately arrested at the scene and charged with seven offences.
The authorities confirmed to CP24 that there was a struggle during the arrest, though the video does not capture the interaction with officers.
Bachu Matthew is charged with the operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm, failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, flight while pursued by a peace officer, dangerous operation of a conveyance, disarming a peace officer and failing or refusing to comply with a breath demand.
