A 41-year-old man has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run in Vaughan earlier this month that killed a 60-year-old woman. It happened on the evening of Oct. 4, around 8:30 p.m., in the area of Pine Valley Drive, just north of Major Mackenzie Drive. York Regional Police said a woman was walking northbound on Pine Valley Drive when she was fatally struck by a vehicle heading north. Police previously identified the victim as a live-in caregiver. She had gotten off a bus at that time and was walking to work. Video released by police earlier this month appears to show the moments leading up to the collision, as a woman can be seen walking on the shoulder of the road with a small suitcase and flashlight that evening. It is unclear if the victim died instantly but investigators previously said that, based on the severity of her injuries, the driver would have known they had hit someone. Investigators obtained surveillance footage of what they believed to be the suspect vehicle, and identified it as a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, model year 2020 to 2022. Police confirmed the vehicle debris found at the scene of the collision belonged to a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. On Oct. 16, investigators charged Kamel Hazime, of Vaughan, with failure to stop after accident resulting in death. The charge has not been tested in court. Police said the Sprinter van has not yet been located. York police said that anyone who helps conceal, repair or alter a vehicle to avoid detection may be committing a criminal offence and could face charges. “This includes anyone who performs or arranges body work, paint work or mechanical repairs intended to conceal damage caused in the collision,” police said in a news release on Monday. Investigators are appealing to anyone who has interacted with Hazime in relation to the suspect vehicle to contact them. They add that anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
