Julia Cleveland, a 46-year-old Toronto-based jazz musician who was an accomplished percussionist, has been identified as the victim of a fatal multi-vehicle collision in the city's Junction neighbourhood on Monday (September 23).
A 57-year-old man driving a Hyundai Elantra — who is believed to have run a red light — collided with a 34-year-old woman driving a Hyundai Tucson, which was redirected onto the northwest corner of the intersection, striking the musician and her partner, 50-year-old John Southern, who were out for a walk. Southern was transported to hospital after suffering minor injuries and Cleveland died at the scene.
Duty Insp. Scott Shutt called the incident "tragic," as the couple being hit by the waylaid vehicle was "unavoidable."
"Speed looks like it was a factor," Shutt added, noting that the investigation is still ongoing. The drivers who remained on the scene are cooperating with the police, and several witnesses also sprang into action and attempted life-saving measures on Cleveland. "They did everything they could," Shutt said.
Tributes to Cleveland have poured in on social media, with one post in the Bloor West High Park Junction Community Facebook group remembering her as "sparkly, wild, sensitive, and kind all rolled into one." Another friend on Facebook said she was "one of the most beautiful and talented people I have ever known."
The musician's devastated family asked that "all Torontonians to slow down and be careful on the roads," adding, "Just a little bit of speeding and a moment of inattention can mean that a beautiful, loved person like Julia has their life extinguished in the blink of an eye."
Cleveland was working as the finance manager at the Toronto Musicians Association, and performed with her trio at the Bluebird Bar on Dundas Street West as recently as last Thursday (September 19).