A 15-year-old boy who may have suffered crippling injuries was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday in connection to the death of Const. Garrett Styles, who was pinned underneath a van during a traffic stop near Newmarket, Ont.

Styles, 32, was killed Tuesday morning after being struck and pinned underneath a minivan containing four youths during a traffic stop at Herald Road and Highway 48 in the town of East Gwillimbury, east of Newmarket.

Police say Styles was standing at the driver-side door when the vehicle accelerated, dragging him into a field before the driver of the van lost control and flipped over.

The unlicensed 15-year-old driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He was transferred to Toronto Western Hospital overnight and is said to be suffering injuries to his neck and back.

Sources tell CTV Toronto that the boy has been paralyzed from the neck down, leaving him a quadriplegic.

On Wednesday, York Regional Police announced they had laid a charge of first-degree murder on a 15-year-old from York Region.

"The accused male, the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident, was charged last night in hospital, where he remains with serious injuries," York Regional Police said in a statement.

The boy's name will not be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

He is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on July 7.

One of the passengers in the van expressed her remorse on Facebook on Wednesday, claiming she wasn't aware that the driver was only 15 years old.

The girl, also a teenager, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that she wasn't responsible for Styles' death because she was in the back seat. She also said her arm had been broken in three placed during the accident.

The girl's mother told CTV Toronto that her daughter had made a mistake and feels terrible about Styles' death.

The girl has not been charged in the incident.

Officers continued on Wednesday to canvass drivers who might have been on Highway 48, between Davis Drive and Mount Albert Road at the time of the incident.

The stretch of highway where Styles was dragged 300 metres and killed has been opened for the first time since the young constable's death.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, said he and other police officers across the country want someone held accountable for Styles' death.

"The last thing on my mind right now, to be honest, is forgiveness," he told CTV's Canada AM in an interview from Vancouver.

"There has to be real consequences, in the short term at least, to deter this activity."

With an eye to the future, Stamatakis also recommended an inquiry into the reasons why some Canadian youth participate in high-risk activities.

Styles was alone on patrol when he stopped the 2005 Dodge Caravan packed with four teenagers for a traffic check. CTV Toronto has learned that the van had been taken from one of the youths' family home without permission.

Styles was leaning into the cab of the van to turn off the ignition when when the vehicle accelerated and dragged him into a field before flipping over.

While pinned beneath the van, Styles managed to contact police dispatch over his radio and direct emergency crews to his location.

"I've got a van on my waist," Styles can be heard saying in a recording of the call. "It hurts. And, uh, I've got these people inside the van. I don't know how they are doing."

Styles, who would have turned 33 on Sunday, was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 6:10 a.m.

He is survived by his wife, Melissa, a civilian employee of the York Regional Police Service, and two small children, a two-year-old girl and nine-week-old boy.

The three minivan passengers, also from York region, are reportedly co-operating with police.

Styles is the 10th York region police officer to die on the job.

Police have also set up a book of condolences for Styles, which will be available for signing until his funeral when the book will be given to constable Styles' family.

The book was made available for signing on Wednesday morning in the lobby of the central police station at 155 King William Street in Hamilton.

There's been an outpouring of support for Styles from politicians and other community members. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Former OPP commissioner Julian Fantino are among many mourners offering condolences to the young officer's family.

With files from CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry and Colin D'Mello


Anyone who'd also like to leave their condolences can do so online at a CTVToronto.ca page set up for Const. Styles.