Skateboarder killed in North York hit and run

A male skateboarder has diedin a hit and run in North York overnight on Monday.

The victim, identified as a 34-year-old man,was found lying in the middle of the eastbound lanes of Sheppard Avenue East in the Bonnington Place and YongeStreet area around 1:15 a.m. with a serious head injury, said Det. Const. Scott Matthews, the lead investigator in the case.

He was riding a motorized skateboard on the roadway when he was struck by thedriver of a vehicle travelling in the same direction, explainedMatthewsof Toronto police's traffic services division.

"The driver stopped, exited the vehicle momentarily, then drove away," Gary Long, a spokesperson for Toronto police, told CBC Toronto on Monday morning.

The victim was taken to a trauma centre in life-threatening conditionbutwas later pronounced dead.

It's unclear what caused the collision, but Matthews noted there's no indication of an altercation between the driver and skateboarder.

Police shut down a section of theroadway betweenDorisand Kenneth avenues for five hours while officers from the collision reconstruction unit investigated the scene.

Investigators are searching for a suspectdescribed as a woman believed to be in her 40swith black, shoulder-length hair. Shewas driving a silver- or grey-coloured Toyota Yaris that is believed to be an older model, Long said.

A child was also reportedly in the back seat of the car at the time, he added.

"This is pretty rare. I've never had a collision involving a motorized skateboard," said Matthews.

Officers are canvassing the area for any securitycameras that may have captured the collision. Anyone withinformation is asked to contact police.