Police identify suspect van after caregiver, 60, left to die on side of road in Vaughan

Police in York Region say they have identified the vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run earlier in October that left a 60-year-old woman dead.

The woman’s body laid on the side of the road for two days before she was found.

Investigators say the woman stepped off a bus on Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan and was walking north on Pine Valley Drive around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 4, when she was hit.

The woman from Richmond Hill was travelling to her job as a live-in caregiver when she was hit, said York Region Police Const. Kevin Nebrija.

On Oct. 6 the woman was spotted by an area resident, who called police.

“The caller got close enough to see someone was there and not responding,” he said.

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Officers arrived to find she was dead. Her suitcase was found nearby, he said.

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“It is absolutely tragic that she was struck and essentially left on the side of the road for two days,” he said.

“The brazenness of the driver to leave her on the side of the road like that, for two days, and not even seeking any help, has put [them] in the spotlight here.”

Police announced Friday the suspect vehicle is a white 2020 to 2022 Mercedes-Benz sprinter van.

Investigators shared on social media a security video of the van turning into a subdivision near the scene.

The local community provided video and police found vehicle debris at the scene, which led them to determine the make of the van, said Nebrija.

“We hope that the driver sees the video, talks to legal and turns himself in,” said Nebrija, adding that police are confident the driver is well-aware they hit someone.

Investigators are appealing to any body shops or auto repair shops to be on the lookout for a sprinter van with damage to the front area.

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“To the driver: consult legal counsel and turn yourself in. We already have the vehicle on video. It’s going to be a matter of time before our investigators are able to determine who the driver is,” he said.