York Regional police are investigating after a vehicle fatally struck a 42-year-old mother of two and drove off a second-storey parking lot in Vaughan Thursday afternoon.

It happened outside a plaza on Keele Street south of Rutherford Road at 1:22 p.m.

York Regional Police Sgt. Andy Pattenden told CP24 a white Audi Q7 was in a second-storey parking garage when "for reasons that are under investigation, drove across that parking lot, right over through a fence and off the second-storey."

A female pedestrian was hit in the process, Pattenden said.

When officers arrived, the pedestrian was pronounced dead on the scene.

Family and co-workers have identified the victim as Maria De Simone.

maria de simone

Her son Joey Mazzucco described her as a loving and generous person.

“She worked hard every day to support me and my brother,” Mazzucco told CTV News Toronto. "It doesn’t feel real right now.”

Frank Caruso, who runs a furniture store nearby, said De Simone was one of his employees.

“It's so devastating to us because she's such a big part of our company and such a great person,” Caruso said. “It's heartbreaking.”

Pattenden said the elderly male driver of the vehicle was found without vital signs and was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

A woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was also taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

Vaughan collision

"It's quite a dynamic scene," Pattenden said. "Our investigators will be looking at all factors whether it be medical, speed, whatever it might be. They'll be looking at all of the evidence in this case."

Members of the York Regional Police Major Collision Bureau is investigating.

Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to contact them.

"We also have our investigators here canvassing the area for video surveillance, and it's likely that there will be some video surveillance in the area, which will definitely aid in this investigation," Pattenden said.