A 41-year-old woman is in hospital after she was hit by a vehicle in a Coquitlam collision last night (Oct. 19).
The driver of said vehicle was arrested as Mounties explain to the Tri-City News speed and impairment may have been involved.
On Tuesday around 11:45 p.m., RCMP responded to a report of a pedestrian struck in the 1900-block of Cape Horn Avenue — north of Lougheed Highway near Brunette Avenue and Mundy Street.
After police arrived, the driver was taken into custody and an investigation has since been opened.
Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Const. Deanna Law says police are looking to determine if speed and impairment were possible contributing factors to the incident.
Law adds no other information is being released. The extent of the woman's injuries are also not known at this time.
She also confirms there were no injuries reported from another Coquitlam motor vehicle collision that took place earlier in the day.
Witnesses alerted the Tri-City News around 3 p.m. on Tuesday of a serious crash on Como Lake Avenue between Schoolhouse and Linton streets that closed the road in both directions for several hours.
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH
Last night's incident took place further south along Cape Horn Avenue from where a near-miss took place in early September.
A pedestrian and their dog were almost hit at the Dawes Hill Road crosswalk by a vehicle that neglected the several rules of the road in a span of 10 seconds.
The driver speeding up tried to swerve around a vehicle that came to a complete stop at the crosswalk and almost collided with the pedestrian, but slammed their brakes just in time.
October is dubbed as pedestrian safety awareness month in a joint campaign with RCMP and ICBC, with officials encouraging everyone to stay focused on the sidewalk as well as the road.
ICBC's latest stats reveal an average of 57 people die each year and more than 2,600 are injured across the province resulting from motor vehicle incidents involving pedestrians.
Of those numbers, 78 per cent take place at intersections and many are the result of distracted driving and failing to yield for pedestrians.
The corporation explains weather can also be a factor this time of year as fall is set to bring shorter days.
Coquitlam Mounties have issued the following tips to avoid pedestrian collisions:
PEDESTRIANS
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. Do not assume a driver has seen you.
- Dress to be seen in bright or reflective clothing especially at night and on dark/overcast days.
- Use a crosswalk, a majority of the fatal pedestrian collisions involve jaywalking.
- Walk on the inside edge of the sidewalk so you are further away from traffic.
- If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles.
- Make sure you can hear and see oncoming cars. Remove your headphones and your hood when crossing the street.
- Always look for signs that a vehicle is about to move (rear lights, exhaust smoke, sound of motor, wheels turning).
DRIVERS
- Focus on the road. Always leave your phone alone while driving.
- Be ready to yield to pedestrians, especially when turning at intersections and near transit stops.
- If a vehicle has stopped in front of you or in the lane next to you, it may be yielding for a pedestrian.
- Expect the unexpected, even mid-block, as pedestrians may be jaywalking.
- Slow down. Give yourself more time to react to the unexpected, like a pedestrian that suddenly appears in front of you.
For more information, you're encouraged to visit ICBC's website.
