Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Pedestrian safety

Two Drivers Jump Sidewalk in Toronto, Injure 10 — Cops Blame Pedestrians

Today in police behaving badly, this madness from Toronto...

A chief law enforcement official in Toronto suggested pedestrians were somehow responsible for their injuries after two cars jumped the curb and injured 10 people. Image: ##http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/728133/toronto-car-crash-at-bay-and-lakeshore-raises-questions-about-road-safety/## MetroNews##

Ten people were injured -- including six pedestrians -- following a collision in which two drivers jumped the curb. The crash was found to be caused by an "illegal road manuver" on the part of one of the drivers. But that didn't stop Toronto Police Constable Hugh Smith from blaming pedestrians. In a Toronto Star report on the incident, Smith pointed to a lack of understanding about pedestrian countdown timers.

The article dwells at length on the constable's concerns about pedestrians.

“We’re finding down there is people aren’t paying attention to the countdown timers,” Smith told the newspaper. “A lot of people take it for granted.”

In response, Toronto resident Benjamin Mueller-Heaslip is circulating a petition. He says this isn't an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of victim-blaming by Toronto law enforcement. Police have suggested that pedestrians take extreme measures to protect their safety, Mueller-Heaslip says, including wearing bright colors or walking along the edge of the sidewalk farthest away from traffic.

"Blaming people for engaging in perfectly legal behaviour normalizes the dangerous and illegal behaviour of others," Mueller-Heaslip writes. "It suggests that non-drivers must go to extreme and unreasonable lengths to protect themselves from others’ recklessness."

As of Monday afternoon, more than 200 people had signed.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth

The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.

July 3, 2025

Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?

Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.

July 3, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children

From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.

July 2, 2025

Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods

"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."

July 1, 2025
See all posts