Four people were taken to hospital Tuesday evening after a stolen vehicle raced through a red light and hit two cars and a pedestrian at a busy Toronto downtown intersection.

The incident happened at the corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West at about 8 p.m. ET.

Police say a stolen SUV sped away from two officers patrolling the area on bicycle. They tried to get the vehicle to pull over after it made an illegal turn at the corner of Yonge and Queen streets.

The driver of the SUV sped away and a few blocks later drove through a red light at Queen and University, jumped the curb and pinned a woman inside a crushed TTC shelter.

Workmen clean-up after a stolen SUV crashed into a TTC shelter at the corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West on Monday evening. (Lorenda Reddekopp/CBC)

"She was pinned," said witness Jason Ellis. "Her leg was broken."

"It was a loud crack. It was like, pop. It was like fireworks," Ellis recalled. "Like you could hear it from all the way down at Bay [Street]. Wow, it was kind of crazy. I'm still a little bit shaken up because it could've been me. I take the streetcar there all the time, you know."

The SUV also hit at least two other cars, knocked down a light pole and shattered an electrical switchbox.

Witnesses said three men ran from the SUV. Police later said they had arrested three suspects with the help of the canine unit.

Of the four taken to hospital, three were pedestrians.

The province's Special Investigations Unit has been called in to probe the incident.

SIU investigates any time civilians are hurt or killed during a police operation.

SIU spokesman Frank Phillips says it was decided to involve the SIU because "there was some interaction with police prior to this incident occurring, or perhaps even during when it occurred."