A Mississauga father says he was forced to turn detective after a driver struck his 13-year-old son in a crosswalk near Erin Centre Middle School — and then fled the scene.
Syed Saeed says police response was slow, leaving him no choice but to launch his own door-to-door search until he found the driver.
The Incident
On the morning of Sept. 8, Saeed’s son and 11-year-old daughter were crossing Tenth Line West and Perennial Drive when a Toyota Sienna turned left and hit the boy head-on, throwing him several feet through the air.
“They were scared. They were shaking,” Saeed said. “My son is 13 years old. He had no clue how to handle this situation. He was scared. He was nervous. He stood up and he ran towards home.”
The boy suffered minor injuries but was shaken and lost his glasses.
The Father’s Search
When Saeed said police told him to attend a collision centre but didn’t immediately provide a case number, he started canvassing neighbours for CCTV footage. With help from friends, he tracked down the van, its licence plate, and confronted the driver — capturing the exchange on video.
In the footage, the individual admits to hitting the boy but claims they drove away because the child signaled he was okay.
Saeed turned over the evidence to Peel Regional Police, who confirmed they are now investigating. No arrests have been made.
Police Response
In a statement, Peel police acknowledged the delay, citing a “higher-than-usual” volume of priority calls, but stressed that tracking down suspects personally can compromise investigations.
“By going door-to-door, you may inadvertently interfere in the police’s ability to investigate and gather evidence,” Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said. “Additionally, confronting individuals can put you at risk.”
Police say they are committed to holding the driver accountable and continue to collect evidence.
A Community Safety Issue
Advocates say this case is just the latest in a worrying trend of collisions near schools.
“It says that we don’t take road safety seriously, and we especially don’t take it seriously in school zones,” said Jess Spieker from Friends and Families for Safe Streets. She called for physical traffic-calming measures like raised crosswalks and curb extensions to force drivers to slow down.
A recent CAA survey found that 63 per cent of Ontario parents believe school zones are “very unsafe” — a 12 per cent jump since 2023.
Changed Routine for the Family
For Saeed, the incident has permanently altered his morning routine.
“Every morning we have to hold our kids’ hands very tight, make sure everything is safe,” he said. “Not a single day I’m letting them go alone anymore. Even if they’re late for school, let it be — I’m going to take them myself. Things have changed.”