A man has been ticketed after striking a pedestrian in an intersection in North Vancouver last night (Oct. 14). It comes at the time of year when vulnerable road users are most at risk.
The incident happened around 8 p.m. on Thursday, at the intersection of Marine Drive and Garden Avenue, according to Sgt. Peter DeVries, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
The 64-year-old woman was walking south across Marine Drive when the driver of an SUV turning left from Garden onto westbound Marine struck her in the crosswalk, knocking her to the ground.
The driver, a 67-year-old man, got out to assist the victim. She was taken to Lions Gate Hospital as a precaution, but got away with no serious injuries.
Police ticketed the driver for failing to yield to a pedestrian, which comes with a $167-fine and three demerit points on his licence.
DeVries stressed the need for extra vigilance this time of year when, statistically, pedestrians are most likely to be injured or killed crossing the street.
“According to ICBC, 57 pedestrians are killed and 2,600 are injured each year in collisions, and 78 per cent of those of those incidents happen in an intersection,” he said. “Of course, drivers must always watch and proactively be very careful and looking and share the road safely, especially at nighttime, especially when it's raining. The lion's share of responsibility in these situations falls on drivers because they are the ones with the potential to cause serious injuries to pedestrians.”
And DeVries added people on foot can help protect themselves by taking steps to make sure they are seen and never assume the driver of a vehicle can see them.
“Particularly at this time of year when the weather is often raining and road conditions are often less than ideal,” he said.
