UPDATE: Pedestrian remains in critical condition

Kamloops Mounties were at Tranquille and Fort roads for most of Friday, Sept. 7, in the aftermath of an accident in which a 20-year-old woman was struck while crossing Tranquille in a crossswalk. The driver of the car that hit her, a 85-year-old man, had, apparently, run a red light.

ANDREA KLASSEN PHOTO/KTW

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A 20 year-old woman who was struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk remains in critical condition in the intensive-care unit at Royal Inland Hospital.

The woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a red Firefly ran a red light at the intersection of Fortune Drive and Leigh Road at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7. According to witnesses, the woman was in the crosswalk when the car struck her, throwing her as far as 40 feet.

The impact of the collision shattered the vehicle’s windshield, causing it to cave in.

Ken Mertz, whose house directly overlooks the corner where the woman was struck, told KTW he was walking away from the intersection when he heard the collision.

“I’ll never get that sound out of my head,” he said.

When he turned back, the woman was lying quite a distance from the crosswalk and appeared to be in very bad shape.

Kamloops RCMP say the 85-year-old driver, whose name has not been released, is co-operating with the investigation. At this time, alcohol is not believed to be a factor.

Speaking to media on Monday, Sept. 10, RCMP Staff Sgt. Grant Learned described the investigation as “still very much ongoing.”

A full mechanical inspection of the driver’s vehicle is expected to take place this week, which Learned said is standard practice when a serious collision occurs. Investigators are also waiting on a report from an RCMP collisions reconstructor.

“We still are waiting for that report before any decisions will be made with respect to charges, if any,” Learned said.

Depending on the findings of the investigation, the driver could be ordered to re-test for his driver’s licence by the provincial superintendent of motor vehicles, Learned said.

Mertz said accidents are a frequent occurrence at the intersection outside his home.

“It’s hazardous going across here,” he said. “There’s people that run the red light all the time.”