to miru - regard as

[Taurus]

I wonder if anyone could help. Look at the following sentence:

捜査本部は、平岡さんの遺体とみて身元の確認を急いでいる。

I think it means something like:

The investigation HQ is hurrying to confirm that the body is that of Hiraoka-san

But what does 'tomite' (とみて) mean? It's not something I've come across before.

My wife says 'to miru' means something like 'regard as'. But I can't seem to find any verification of that on the internet. Is it one word (tomiru) or two (to miru) and if the latter, why does it take the particle 'to'?

Anyone got any ideas?

[Ben Bullock]

捜査本部は、平岡さんの遺体とみて身元の確認を急いでいる。

I think it means something like:

The investigation HQ is hurrying to confirm that the body is that of Hiraoka-san

But what does 'tomite' (とみて) mean?

My wife says 'to miru' means something like 'regard as'.

That's right.

Is it one word (tomiru) or two (to miru) and if the latter, why does it take the particle 'to'?

Here to miru is two words, the particle to plus verb miru, to see. to miru is similar to to suru "to suppose". I don't know of a reference on the internet to point you to.

[Taurus]

Thanks for that! (Sorry for the belated apologies, but for some reason I can't log in to the forum from home.)