A peaceful stroll for those walking West Vancouver's Centennial Seawalk Friday night turned awry when a driver came crashing across the busy pedestrian path, narrowly avoiding shooting over the edge and into the ocean.
West Vancouver police responded to calls of a collision at 6:25 p.m. Friday evening, to find a red Toyota Corolla on the rock face of the seawall leading to the ocean.
"Investigation determined that the vehicle was travelling south on 24th Street when it suddenly accelerated, crashing through a bollard and park bench before crossing the seawall," said Sgt. Chris Bigland of the West Vancouver police.
Bigland said the driver was attended to by West Vancouver Fire & Rescue and B.C. Emergency Health Services members before being transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No other vehicles or pedestrians were involved.
"Impairment is not considered a factor and no criminal charges are being considered," he said.
North Vancouver resident Chris Kibble had been visiting friends for dinner at the Seastrand apartments when he was alerted to the crash by a “very awful” noise.
“We were just about to sit down for dinner when we heard this most incredible noise, we walked to the window and there was that car,” he said.
Kibble said it looked as though the vehicle had careened down 24th Street before crashing into a pair of cement bollards, stopping on the rocks that line the Seawalk.
“If the tide had been in, that would have been a serious problem,” he said.
Kibble said a few people walking the Seawalk stopped to try and help get the driver out of the vehicle but they weren't able to open the doors of the car.
First responders arrived and removed the driver’s side door before carrying the driver, an elderly woman, away via an ambulance, Kibble said.
“There were many passersby, it truly was a blessing that nobody around was hurt.”
The car was towed away shortly after, said Kibble.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
