Friends of a 40-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Scarborough on Thursday afternoon say she was a doting mom and a domestic violence survivor who worked for years to use her experience to help others in need.
The collision occurred at around 3:30 p.m. near Kingston Road and Warden Avenue.
According to investigators, a woman was attempting to cross Kingston Road on foot when she was struck by a westbound Chevrolet Equinox.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified to CP24 as Karla Groten, a mother of two teenage children.
Groten’s friend, Cecilia Tement, told CTV News Toronto that she was texting with Groten minutes before she was struck.
Tement said Groten had just left a hair appointment in the area when she was struck.
“Just before she got killed she sent me a picture of herself. She had her hair all done up and she looked really beautiful and she was so excited. I might’ve been the last person she texted. As soon as she stepped out the salon she got hit.”
Tement said Groten was a single mother, having left an abusive partner some years ago.
For a time 15 years ago, Groten sought the services of Dr. Roz’s Healing Place in Scarborough, a centre for women and their children fleeing abuse.
“That’s how we met, I was her children’s counsellor at the centre,” Tement said.
Groten later volunteered at the centre and then got a job there.
“She’s been working with us for a number of years and we were just – we were two peas in a pod. Everyone who knew Cecilia knew Karla,” Tement said.
Dr, Roz Roach, who founded the centre, told CTV News Toronto that Groten was a “lovely, bubbly human being.”
“We’re going to be grieving for a long, long time.”
Tement said she had a habit of checking in with Groten other every morning, amplifying the silence Friday morning when Tement said she didn’t hear from her friend.
“This was the first morning in a number of years that we didn’t get to talk.”
Tement said Groten was a tireless advocate against violence and a devoted mother to her children.
“Her family is devastated right now. She was the best of us.”
Suspect arrested 4 kilometres away
Police allege the driver of the Equinox failed to remain at the scene of the deadly collision but was located a short time later in the area of Queen Street East and Kingston Road.
Investigators say the suspect was involved in a another collision four blocks away from where Groten was struck and the other driver in that crash saw a licence plate and phoned it in to authorities.
The suspect has been identified by police as 28-year-old David Opalka, of Toronto.
Investigators say Opalka has been charged with a number of offences, including impaired operation of a motor-vehicle causing death, dangerous operation of a motor-vehicle causing death, and failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death.
Opalka appeared in court on Friday and was remanded into custody until Jan. 3 when he will appear via video link.
