A West Vancouver senior is in hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Lower Lonsdale.
The 80-year-old man was crossing Lonsdale Avenue at Fifth Street just before 8 p.m. Friday when a southbound driver in a Honda Civic collided with him, according to Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
B.C. Ambulance Service crews rushed the man to Lions Gate Hospital where he remains in treatment for internal injuries, head lacerations and broken ribs.
The driver, a 50-year-old North Vancouver woman, is co-operating with investigators but it’s too soon to say if there will be charges, De Jong said.
Conditions were dark with heavy rain at the time, he added.
“As far as the investigation goes, they’ll do an analysis of the scene — skid marks, lighting, witnesses, that sort of thing — to determine the cause. At the end of the day, it may just be driver error, not seeing the pedestrian and lighting and rain and lack of reflectors on the pedestrian.”
The incident underscores the need for drivers and pedestrians to be extra cautious in the dark, rainy months of the year when collisions between the two spike, De Jong said.
ICBC has launched a campaign with the province’s transportation and public safety agencies aimed at reducing the number of collisions.
“Never take for granted that the driver can see you,” said North Vancouver City fire chief Dan Pistilli offering advice for pedestrians. “Do the eye contact and make sure they’re coming to a stop.”
“For drivers, pay attention at crosswalks. Someone could step out from in between cars or in a marked crosswalk without you knowing it,” De Jong added.
