Man sent flying after being struck by a VPD cruiser on the DTES (VIDEO)

Editor’s Note: This article includes video footage that may be disturbing to some viewers.

A man has been sent to hospital in serious condition after he was struck by a Vancouver police cruiser on the city’s Downtown Eastside early Tuesday morning, according to the Independent Investigations Office (IIO).

Video of the violent collision was captured on video surveillance and posted to YouTube.  

The IIO, which examines police-related incidents that lead to death or serious harm, has launched an investigation. 

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According to the IIO, the pedestrian was struck as the VPD officer drove eastbound near East Hastings and Main streets around 3:20 am. 

In the video posted online, the man can be seen bent over, standing in the middle of the street moments before the collision. The police cruiser drives down towards the man and strikes him. This collision causes the man to be sent flying and roll onto the hood of the car.

The vehicle comes to a quick stop and witnesses can be seen quickly rushing to help the victim. 

The video has since been deleted from YouTube but investigators are appealing to the person behind the video to contact them.

In an email statement to Daily Hive, the VPD said it trusts the IIO investigation “will shed light what factors led to the collision, including the reason why the pedestrian was standing motionless in the middle of the road, why the officers did not see the person, the speed of the police vehicle, and other contributing factors.”

The IIO is urging anyone with relevant information, dashcam or other video footage of the incident to contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.