Residents fume after deadly High Park crash kills two

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After two people were killed Tuesday, residents along Parkside Dr. across from High Park are once again warning about the risk of deadly collisions.

“Chaos,” is how Tatiana Rivers described the deadly crash outside her front door near at Spring Rd.

“One of our neighbours tried to perform CPR on one of the victims who unfortunately didn’t make it,” she said.

Police say a 71-year old man and a 69-year old woman died after their red Toyota Matrix was hit at about 4:40 p.m. by a 38-year-old man driving south in a BMW.

The impact crushed the back of their Toyota.

The BMW came to a stop at a cement hydro pole it knocked over.

In all, five cars were involved.

“This carnage shouldn’t be happening,” Tatiana said.

Her husband Adam was coming home with their young daughter and saw the aftermath.

“The red car was crushed. Like crumpled in half,” he said. “With my two-and-a-half-year-old, I was trying to shield her eyes because there’s a deceased body in front of our house.”

For years, neighbours have been getting increasingly worried about speed along Parkside.

They are part of a Facebook group — set up in April — called Safe Parkside, in an effort to get the city’s attention.

“Chaos. Chaos. Chaos,” is how Christopher Kulpa describes what he saw. “We thought something came through our front window.”

Kulpa’s house also faces the intersection.

He rushed outside to help, along with his neighbour.

“The car, there was no back end,” he said of the Toyota. “I saw Barry there looking into the passenger side.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Councillor Gord Perks, who represents the Parkdale-High Park ward, issued a statement.

“Yesterday two Torontonians died. Every day, people who live near Parkside have to contend with unsafe conditions.” Perks’ statement read.

Perks outlined the city’s efforts to make that stretch of Parkside safer.

“Some parts of our plan have run into hurdles,” his statement said. “Efforts to get speeds reduced on Parkside have run up against the City’s antiquated road classification system which says that ‘major arterial’ roads cannot be reduced below 50 kph.”

A police officer with radar was at the intersection Wednesday morning pulling over a number of drivers.

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Residents are hoping this deadly crash is a catalyst to increase safety.

“Unfortunately it is not surprising. It’s something that we have been warning our councillor about,” Tatiana said.

“It’s something that is avoidable,” Adam said. “They had fair warning and nothing was done. It’s just a real shame.”