Man with information on vehicle driver who deliberately struck and killed East York boy in 2019 urged to come forward
Toronto police and the family of a 16-year-old East York boy who died after being deliberately struck by the driver of a vehicle in October of 2019 are appealing to those with information on the incident to come forward.
Matthew Dreaver, 16, was intentionally struck by a vehicle early on the morning of Monday, Oct. 7, 2019 in the Cedarvale and Bracebridge avenues area.
The incident took place at approximately 2:26 a.m. and Dreaver was accompanied by another teen when he was run over by the driver of a dark-coloured four-door SUV. Dreaver was rushed to hospital where he died of his injuries later that morning.
Dreaver was Toronto’s 55 homicide of 2019.
Weeks after his death, police released a video showing Dreaver being struck by the vehicle in the hopes it would prompt people with information to come forward.
The video, which contains graphic content, shows Dreaver and a 14-year-old friend running on to the driveway of the Stan Wadlow Clubhouse on Cedarvale as they are being chased by the person driving the SUV which then hits and drags Dreaver under the vehicle.
While the friend with Dreaver leans over him to check on his condition as he is on the ground, the SUV turns around at the end of the circular driveway and drives right past the pair of them.
The driver of the SUV then fled the area heading north on Woodbine Avenue, east on O’Connor Avenue and then east on St. Clair Avenue East, police said.
In a news conference held at Toronto Police Headquarters on Friday, Oct. 25, a bit more than five years after Dreaver’s death, Det. Sgt. Brandon Price from the homicide squad said investigators were appealing to the man who had been a passenger in the vehicle before and after Deaver was run down.
“I am making an appeal directly to the man who was the passenger of the vehicle on that night in 2019,” said Price at the news conference.
“I believe that you were not in the vehicle at the time the driver ran over and killed Matthew Dreaver. I also believe that you did not know the driver was going to run over Matthew. I am looking to speak with you as a witness to this event. I need you to come forward to speak to us so that we can solve this case, find justice for Matthew, and have some closure for Kelly (his mother) and the whole family.”
Dreaver’s mother Kelly Jones spoke at Friday’s news conference and said her son was a “loving, fun, selfless, thoughtful and charismatic” boy.
“Matthew was taken from us five years ago, which destroyed our family and left us with many unanswered questions. Why? How could this happen to my child? When will Matthew be able to rest peacefully knowing the person who did this is held responsible? Today I speak out to anybody who may have information that could help bring Matthew justice and his family to closure,” she said.
“Since Matthew’s voice was silenced five years ago, I have been using my voice to speak for him and finally bring justice for Matthew. Matthew was just a 16-year-old boy who had live ahead of him before he was robbed of that. So please if someone you know has information… in finding his murderer, please speak out.”
Police said at the news conference that the male passenger they are seeking exited the vehicle before the driver deliberately struck Dreaver. “After hitting Matthew, the driver stopped to pick up the passenger and fled the area. As a result, the passenger is no longer considered a suspect in this homicide,” said police in news release after the conference.
The driver of the vehicle is the primary suspect and focus of the police investigation, said the news release.
Police said the male driver is described as white, age 20 to 35 years old, approximately five-feet, 10-inches tall with a round face and short to balding hair.
The passenger is described as white with short to balding hair, and similar in height to the driver of the vehicle.
The SUV is believed to be a black, four-door vehicle of unknown make or model with damage to the front.
A video, that police warn contains graphic content of the vehicle striking Dreaver, can be seen on You Tube at the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXnnlW77I4I&feature=youtu.be
Anyone with information is asked to contact the homicide squad at 416-808-7100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477) or online at https://www.222tips.com
