A 57-year-old Toronto driver has been charged with careless driving causing death and two counts of careless driving causing bodily harm for his involvement in a crash that killed 46-year-old pedestrian Julia Cleveland in September, Toronto police say.
The collision happened in the area of Annette Street and Pacific Avenue, near Dundas Street W. and Keele Street, shortly after 8 p.m. on Sept. 23.
The man charged was driving a Hyundai Elantra north on Pacific Avenue, while a 34-year-old woman was driving a Hyundai Tucson west on Annette Street, police said in a news release issued Friday. The man hit the woman’s car, redirecting it onto the northwest corner of the intersection where Cleveland and another man were walking on the sidewalk.
Cleveland was pronounced dead at the scene, the other man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Duty Insp. Scott Shutt told reporters at the scene that speed could be a factor in the collision.
In a statement, Julia Cleveland’s family said she was “a wonderful and talented local Toronto jazz musician and composer.” (Courtesy of Tara Cleveland)
In a statement, Cleveland’s family said she was “a wonderful and talented local Toronto jazz musician and composer.”
She also worked as the finance manager for the Toronto Musicians Association to give back to the city’s local music community, the statement said.
Her family said it is devastated at Cleveland’s death and asked “all Torontonians to slow down and be careful on the roads.”
“Just a little bit of speeding and a moment of inattention can mean that a beautiful, loved person like Julia has their life extinguished in the blink of an eye.”