A seven-year-old boy is recovering from facial injuries after he was struck late Monday afternoon by the driver of a vehicle travelling west on Clarke Street in Port Moody.
Sgt. Ian Morrison of Port Moody Police Department said the boy had just got out of his parents’ vehicle mid-block at about 5:10 p.m. when he was struck as he crossed the westbound lane. He said the driver of the vehicle that hit him remained on the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
Morrison said speed and alcohol were not factors in the collision but poor visibility and weather conditions may have contributed.
Morrison said while the boy’s injuries were serious, they’re not life-threatening. Clarke Street remained closed for several hours while police investigated.
Two years ago, several businesses on the north side of Clarke, between Elgin and Queen streets, lobbied the city for a pedestrian-controlled crosswalk at Elgin as well as three-hour residential parking restrictions on the south side of Clarke to make the area better for customers.
Tuesday, Lisa Beecroft, an owner of Gabi and Jules bakery, presented city council with a petition of support for better safety on Clarke she and her neighbours, which include a restaurant, aesthetics studio and a martial arts gym, has been collecting since last spring.
Beecroft said there's been plenty of "near misses" on the street over the years.
"It's very frightening," she said, adding it's unrealistic for customers of businesses on the north side of the Clarke to use crosswalks at Queens or Douglas streets.
Milad Bahrami, the owner of Port Moody Taekwondo, said the boy who was hit was one of his gym's students and Monday's accident was one he'd feared for several years.
"It's very frustrating for us," he said. "I warned city planners this day will come."
Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov said he supports a new crosswalk at the intersection of Elgin and Clarke, and he wants to expedite it's construction. He said he plans to introduce a memo to that effect at an emergency meeting of council's committee of the whole on Saturday after Tuesday's scheduled meeting was abruptly adjourned while discussing plans for developing Moody Centre.
1/22: Story updated to clarify position of Mayor Rob Vagramov.
