An 85-year-old man is in life-threatening condition, police say, after being hit by a car driven by an off-duty Niagara police officer.

Niagara police said, in a news release Tuesday, that they responded to a plaza parking lot at the corner of Welland Avenue and Bunting Road in St. Catharines, Ont., at around 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Hamilton Police Service is investigating, Niagara police said, to avoid "potential or perceived conflict of interest."

Police said Tuesday afternoon the parking lot would be closed as Hamilton police's Collision Reconstruction Unit investigates.

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