Peel Regional Police say the body of a woman was discovered after the fact in the back seat of a wrecked car in a tow yard, and only hours after her family had reported her missing.
On Nov. 1 at around 4:20 a.m., there was a collision in Brampton, Ont., near Queen Street and Chinguacousy Road involving two vehicles.
Police initially said only one driver — a 31-year-old man — died but later said the passenger of one of the vehicles, a 20-year-old woman, was also killed.
The driver of the other vehicle, who police said was a young offender, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing/refusing to comply with a demand for testing.
Global News has learned the woman’s body was only discovered after her family had reported her missing hours after the collision.
In a statement, Peel police said when first responders initially arrived at the scene, they found the driver dead inside a Honda Civic. He had to be extricated from the car.
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“At this time, there was no immediate or clear indication of a passenger,” police said in their statement.
The force said the scene was processed and both vehicles were taken to a police impound yard for further analysis.
“In the hours after the collision, we received reports of a missing 20-year-old woman whose last known location, confirmed through a shared tracking app, was the crash site,” police said.
Officers were sent to the crash site and the impound yard to find any evidence of a passenger.
Police said the back seat of the “demolished” Honda Civic was examined and the woman was found “embedded in the wreckage.” They then called Brampton Fire and Emergency Services to extract her with the use of specialized equipment.
A full review of the incident is underway, police said.
“Our thoughts remain with the families and all those affected by this tragic collision,” police said. “We recognize the profound impact of this tragedy and ask that the privacy of the families involved be respected as they continue to grieve this loss.”
A spokesperson for Ontario’s coroner’s office, Stephanie Rea, said police and paramedics had reported only one fatality to the coroner.
“When the coroner arrived at the scene, the reported deceased individual had been removed from the vehicle,” Rea said. “When the second fatality was reported to the coroner, they attended the second scene. Given the ongoing nature of the death investigation, further details cannot be released. The investigating coroner continues to keep both families apprised.”
The Special Investigations Unit, known as Ontario’s police watchdog that investigates the conduct of officers when there is death involved, said it is not investigating the incident.
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