Suspect wanted in TMU hit-and-run that injured 5 arrested in separate road rage incident

A 23-year-old man wanted for allegedly striking and injuring five people on a pedestrian walkway at a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) campus in April has been arrested after police responded to a separate road rage incident weeks later.

Toronto police said the victims were sitting on a bench on the downtown campus’ Nelson Mandela Walk on April 15 when the suspect allegedly drove towards them, striking three people and injuring a fourth before fleeing the scene.

Two people were transported to a local hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries, while two others were assessed on scene and did not require further medical treatment.

A fifth victim, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was identified in the days following the incident.

None of the injured were students or staff at the university.

Police said at least one of the victims was intentionally targeted by the suspect. However, they did not elaborate on the circumstances or the relationship between the victim and the suspect.

On Friday, officers said the suspect was stopped on May 8 by police and investigated following an alleged road rage incident in the Morningside Avenue and Highway 401 area. Details of what happened were not released by investigators.

Investigators identified the suspect as Ryan Petroff, 23, of Toronto.

He was arrested on numerous outstanding warrants and is facing several charges, including attempted murder, sexual assault with a weapon, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, three counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of dangerous conveyance of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

Petroff was also charged with four counts of failure to comply with probation, three counts of leaving an accident scene/bodily harm and operation while prohibited.

With files from Michael Talbot and John Marchesan