‘It’s horrible’: Police say boy, 16, was intentionally struck in fatal hit-and-run

Toronto police say a 16-year-old boy who died after a hit-and-run early Monday morning in East York was intentionally struck from behind.

Homicide Detective Leslie Dunkley said they are treating the case as a first-degree murder investigation, and seeking two male suspects.

The victim has been identified as Matthew Dreaver, of Toronto.

Dunkley said Dreaver and a friend became involved in an altercation with two men in a vehicle at 1500 Woodbine Avenue just after 2 a.m.

Dreaver and his friend began walking away, but Dunkley said they were followed to the area of Cedarvale Avenue near the East York Memorial Arena.

“Several minutes later the occupants of that motor vehicle … located the males and there was a second interaction,” he explained Tuesday. “At that point the passenger of the vehicle exited and began to chase the victim and his friend. They ran eastbound … at which point the motor vehicle struck our victim from behind and then proceeded to leave the area.”

Dreaver was without vital signs when paramedics arrived and died later in hospital.

“We do have some video footage of the collision,” Dunkley added. “It’s a little bit too graphic, we are not releasing those images.”

“It is clear to us that the victim was intentionally struck.”

Police are looking for two suspects. The first suspect is described as a white man, 20-35 years old, with a round face. Police say he’s around five foot ten or five foot eleven with short to balding hair.

The second suspect is described as a white man, with short to balding hair. He’s also five foot ten to five foot eleven.

The suspect vehicle is described as a black, four-door SUV. Police say it may have damage to the front end of the vehicle.

“It’s horrible, it was a horrible incident,” Dunkley said. “It was horrible for me to witness that on video and this is a first-degree murder investigation.”